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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...

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...

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...

What is a Sensory System?

What is a Sensory System?

Sensory systems detect stimuli—such as light and sound waves—and transduce them into neural signals that can be interpreted by the nervous system. In addition to external stimuli detected by the senses, some sensory systems detect internal stimuli—such as the proprioceptors in muscles and tendons that send feedback about limb position.

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Published on: April 11, 2025

Olfactory networks: from sensation to perception.

Sarah G Leinwand¹, Sreekanth H Chalasani

¹Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.

Current Opinion in Genetics & Development

|September 6, 2011

Summary

Olfactory networks use neuropeptides to modulate sensory neuron responses and integrate internal states. Connectivity to higher brain regions is less stereotyped, with sparse odor representation in the piriform cortex, highlighting learning

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Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

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A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

Published on: July 30, 2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory System Research
Animal Behavior

Background:

Olfactory networks are crucial for detecting chemical cues and guiding behavior.
Recent advances in genetics, behavior, and imaging have illuminated olfactory mechanisms across species.

Purpose of the Study:

To discuss key recent findings in olfactory network function.
To explore how neuropeptides, connection patterns, and neural representations shape olfaction.

Main Methods:

Review of recent genetic tracing studies in model organisms (worms, flies, mice).
Analysis of behavioral experiments and neuroimaging data.
Integration of findings across different species to understand conserved and divergent mechanisms.

Main Results:

Neuropeptides modulate sensory neuron responses, potentially integrating internal states.
Initial olfactory connections are stereotyped, but subsequent connections to higher centers are distributed.
Odor representation in the piriform cortex is surprisingly sparse, suggesting a significant role for learning.

Conclusions:

Olfactory processing involves complex modulation and distributed representations.
Sparse coding in higher brain areas emphasizes the role of experience in olfactory perception.
Studying olfactory networks across species offers insights into sensory information processing and neural representation.