Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...
Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...
Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive functions.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Age-associated oncocytic transformation correlates with an increased prevalence of small multiple Biondi body inclusions in human choroid plexus epithelial cells.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Alzheimer's disease associations with increased Biondi body amyloid in hippocampal-associated choroid plexus epithelial cells and ependymal cells.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Inducible lipid storage and steatosis in the human choroid plexus associated with age and adiposity.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Is Fluoroscopy Needed for Endourologic Treatment of Ureteral and Renal Stones? Results from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Studies by the FUTURE Collaborative of the Endourological Society.

Journal of endourology·2026
Same author

Multimodal Spatial Transcriptomics Reveals the Developing Human Liver Niche at Single-Cell Resolution.

Gastro hep advances·2026
Same author

Can methods that focus on eating behaviour and individual agency improve success rates in eating disorder recovery?

Journal of eating disorders·2026
Same journal

Ablation of the renal tubular gluconeogenic enzyme PCK1 drives AKI-to-CKD transition by negatively regulating the TGF-β/Smad3 signaling pathway.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS·2026
Same journal

LncRNA modulates Dpp-mediated wing development to influence flight in Aedes aegypti.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS·2026
Same journal

TROP2 promotes bone metastasis of colorectal cancer through interaction with the fibronectin-integrin axis.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS·2026
Same journal

PRMT5-Cacna1d axis maintains calcium homeostasis to regulate postnatal motor development in mice.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS·2026
Same journal

Advances and clinical potential of epigenome editing.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS·2026
Same journal

Correction to: SIRT3 activation protects from nabumetone-induced mitochondrial toxicity in adult human cardiomyocytes.

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
09:53

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Published on: April 23, 2019

Is there a space-time continuum in olfaction?

Michael Leon1, Brett A Johnson

  • 1Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-4550, USA. mleon@uci.edu

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences : CMLS
|March 19, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This review explores how the brain processes smells, examining if specific neurons or timing across neurons best explains odor perception. It investigates the identity code versus temporal code debate in olfaction.

More Related Videos

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Published on: April 11, 2025

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants
04:47

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants

Published on: September 18, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
09:53

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Published on: April 23, 2019

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Published on: April 11, 2025

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants
04:47

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants

Published on: September 18, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory System Research
  • Sensory Perception

Background:

  • Olfactory stimuli coding may involve specific odorant receptors on sensory neurons responding to airborne chemicals.
  • Understanding how these responses translate into perceived odors is a key question in sensory neuroscience.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of specific neurons (identity code) versus temporally specific responses across neurons (temporal code) in olfactory perception.
  • To explore the relationship between identity and temporal codes in the olfactory system.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on olfactory coding mechanisms.
  • Analysis of data supporting both identity and temporal coding hypotheses in olfaction.

Main Results:

  • Discusses evidence for both identity and temporal coding in olfactory perception.
  • Highlights the possibility of information conversion between identity and temporal codes.
  • Considers that temporal codes may exist independently of neuronal specificity.

Conclusions:

  • The olfactory system may utilize both identity and temporal coding strategies.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which odorants are converted into perceptions.
  • Investigating the interplay between neuronal specificity and temporal dynamics is crucial for understanding olfaction.