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...
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...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Respiration-coordinated attentional switch from feedforward to top-down informational flow directed by the basal forebrain: layer-specific blanket inhibition of pyramidal cells by neurogliaform cells in the piriform cortex.

Frontiers in neural circuits·2026
Same author

How do we think and what is the neural circuit mechanism for it? Possible roles of working memory and inner speech in thinking.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
Same author

Two separate neural pathways, lateral and medial, for sensory decisions in mammals: switching of attention between the outer and inner cognitive worlds.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2025
Same author

Separation of pups from their mother mice enhances odor associative learning at the late lactation stage.

Scientific reports·2025
Same author

Associative learning and recollection of olfactory memory during the respiratory cycle in mammals: how is the self cognized in consciousness?

Frontiers in neuroscience·2025
Same author

One respiratory cycle as a minimum time unit for making behavioral decisions in the mammalian olfactory system.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2024
Same journal

Fast-conducting mechanonociceptors uniquely engage reflexive and affective pain circuitry to drive protective responses.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Sparse component analysis: A method that uncovers separable computations within neural population activity.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Spatiomolecular mapping reveals anatomical organization of heterogeneous cell types in the human nucleus accumbens.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

TGF-β1-induced endothelial transcytosis drives blood-brain barrier leakage during aging.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Image space opens up for visual neuroscience.

Neuron·2026
Same journal

Septal GLP-1 receptors control alcohol taking and seeking.

Neuron·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
06:32

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes

Published on: June 5, 2017

Neural map formation in the mouse olfactory system.

Hitoshi Sakano1

  • 1Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan. sakano@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Neuron
|August 28, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Olfactory neuron axons form an odor map in the mouse olfactory bulb. This review covers how odorant receptors guide axon pathfinding and projection for olfactory map formation.

More Related Videos

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals
08:30

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals

Published on: October 31, 2011

Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice
08:42

Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice

Published on: December 27, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
06:32

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes

Published on: June 5, 2017

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals
08:30

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals

Published on: October 31, 2011

Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice
08:42

Whole Mount Labeling of Cilia in the Main Olfactory System of Mice

Published on: December 27, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory System Research
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Odor signals activate specific odorant receptors (ORs) in the olfactory epithelium.
  • These signals create a spatial map of activated glomeruli in the olfactory bulb.
  • Axon guidance and sorting in the olfactory system are critical for map formation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in understanding olfactory map formation in rodents.
  • To discuss the representation of neuronal identity at axon termini.
  • To explore the regulation of OR-instructed axonal projection.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on olfactory map formation.
  • Analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying axon pathfinding.
  • Examination of genetic and cellular processes regulating axonal projection.

Main Results:

  • Olfactory neuron axons appear to largely guide their own pathfinding and sorting.
  • Neuronal identity is crucial for accurate targeting within the olfactory bulb.
  • Odorant receptor (OR) expression directly influences axonal projection patterns.

Conclusions:

  • Axon autonomy plays a significant role in establishing the olfactory map.
  • Understanding OR-instructed guidance is key to deciphering olfactory system development.
  • Further research will illuminate the precise regulatory mechanisms involved.