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Olfaction

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 20, 2026

A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation

A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation

Published on: August 18, 2014

Perceptual and neural pliability of odor objects.

Jay A Gottfried¹, Keng Nei Wu

¹Department of Neurology, Cognitive Neurology & Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA. j-gottfried@northwestern.edu

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

|August 19, 2009

Summary

Learning shapes our sense of smell, enhancing odor perception and guiding adaptive behaviors. Experience refines how we interpret smells, impacting brain regions like the piriform and orbitofrontal cortices.

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A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation

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Experience-Dependent Remodeling of Juvenile Brain Olfactory Sensory Neuron Synaptic Connectivity in an Early-Life Critical Period

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory perception
Sensory learning

Background:

The sense of smell (olfaction) is crucial for survival, guiding responses to environmental cues.
Odor meaning is often learned, not innate, due to the limited biological value of most volatile chemicals.
The olfactory system exhibits significant plasticity, enabling the formation of associations between odors and significant events.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of olfactory perceptual learning and aversive conditioning on odor discrimination in humans.
To examine the neural plasticity and reorganization in specific brain regions associated with olfactory learning.
To highlight the role of experience in shaping odor perception and maximizing olfactory potential.

Main Methods:

Human neuroimaging techniques were employed to observe brain activity.
Olfactory perceptual learning paradigms were utilized.
Aversive conditioning protocols were implemented to study fear-related odor learning.

Main Results:

Significant changes in behavioral odor discrimination were observed following learning and conditioning.
Neuroimaging data revealed parallel plasticity and reorganization in the posterior piriform cortex and orbitofrontal cortex.
These neural changes correlated with the learned associations and behavioral responses to odors.

Conclusions:

Experience profoundly shapes odor object perception.
Olfactory learning and conditioning induce dynamic neural changes in key brain areas.
These findings underscore the importance of experience in realizing the full perceptual capabilities of the human sense of smell.