Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Surface Functionalization Studies in the Development of Nanohole Plasmonic Sensors.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Conserved post-odor dynamics in the olfactory systems of mice and locusts.

iScience·2026

Same author

Spectral Super-Resolution Colloidal SERS Spectroscopy for Multiplexed Detection of Protein Biomarkers.

Nano letters·2026

Same author

PEDOT:PSS Microparticles for Extrudable and Bioencapsulating Conducting Granular Hydrogel Bioelectronics.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2025

Same author

Adaptation invariant concentration discrimination in an insect olfactory system.

eLife·2025

Same author

Quantum vibropolaritonic sensing.

Science advances·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Published on: April 11, 2025

Mimicking biological design and computing principles in artificial olfaction.

Baranidharan Raman¹, Mark Stopfer, Steve Semancik

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St, Louis, MO.

ACS Chemical Neuroscience

|November 15, 2011

Summary

This review explores electronic noses inspired by biology. Mimicking biological design and computing principles advances chemical sensing for diverse applications.

More Related Videos

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Published on: August 4, 2014

Simple and Computer-assisted Olfactory Testing for Mice

Simple and Computer-assisted Olfactory Testing for Mice

Published on: June 15, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 27, 2026

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Published on: April 11, 2025

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Published on: August 4, 2014

Simple and Computer-assisted Olfactory Testing for Mice

Simple and Computer-assisted Olfactory Testing for Mice

Published on: June 15, 2015

Area of Science:

Biomimicry
Chemical Sensing
Engineering

Background:

Biology offers engineering solutions, notably in chemical sensing.
Current chemical sensing uses cross-selective sensors and pattern recognition, mimicking olfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent advances in developing electronic noses.
Focuses on mimicking biological design and computing principles for enhanced chemical sensing.

Main Methods:

Review of recent scientific literature on electronic nose technology.
Analysis of approaches inspired by biological olfaction systems.

Main Results:

Significant progress in developing electronic noses through biomimicry.
Demonstrated potential for pattern recognition in chemical identification.

Conclusions:

Electronic noses offer powerful tools for chemical sensing.
Future applications span biological research, industry, security, and medicine.