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Olfaction

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 Pathway

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...

Tactile and Chemical Senses

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...

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

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...

Introduction to Special Senses

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.

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Vertical T-maze Choice Assay for Arthropod Response to Odorants

Vertical T-maze Choice Assay for Arthropod Response to Odorants

Published on: February 14, 2013

Spatial perception: time tells where a smell comes from.

Anat Arzi¹, Noam Sobel

¹Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Israel.

Current Biology : CB

|July 13, 2010

Summary

Sharks detect odor direction using the timing of smell reaching each nostril, not concentration differences. This finding clarifies how sharks navigate using their sense of smell.

Area of Science:

Olfactory neuroscience
Animal behavior

Background:

Sharks exhibit remarkable abilities in detecting and localizing underwater odors.
Previous hypotheses suggested sharks primarily use odor concentration gradients for directional cues.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the primary sensory mechanism sharks use to determine odor source direction.
To differentiate between the roles of odorant time of arrival and odorant concentration in shark olfactory navigation.

Main Methods:

Utilized controlled experimental setups to present olfactory stimuli to sharks.
Monitored shark behavioral responses, specifically turning decisions, in relation to odor presentation.
Analyzed the correlation between inter-nostril sensory input timing and directional choices.

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Olfactory Behaviors Assayed by Computer Tracking Of Drosophila in a Four-quadrant Olfactometer

Olfactory Behaviors Assayed by Computer Tracking Of Drosophila in a Four-quadrant Olfactometer

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Vertical T-maze Choice Assay for Arthropod Response to Odorants

Vertical T-maze Choice Assay for Arthropod Response to Odorants

Published on: February 14, 2013

Insect-controlled Robot: A Mobile Robot Platform to Evaluate the Odor-tracking Capability of an Insect

Insect-controlled Robot: A Mobile Robot Platform to Evaluate the Odor-tracking Capability of an Insect

Published on: December 19, 2016

Olfactory Behaviors Assayed by Computer Tracking Of Drosophila in a Four-quadrant Olfactometer

Olfactory Behaviors Assayed by Computer Tracking Of Drosophila in a Four-quadrant Olfactometer

Published on: August 20, 2016

Main Results:

Shark turning direction strongly correlated with inter-nostril differences in odorant time of arrival (OT A).
Inter-nostril differences in odorant concentration showed a weaker or negligible influence on directional decisions.
The findings indicate a time-based mechanism is dominant in shark olfactory orientation.

Conclusions:

Sharks primarily rely on the temporal disparity of odor detection between their nostrils to navigate towards scent sources.
This time-difference-based mechanism provides a more precise method for directional localization than concentration gradients alone.
The study advances our understanding of sensory processing and navigation strategies in elasmobranchs.