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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...

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...

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells to Evaluate Functional Recovery after Peripheral Nerve Injury

Transplantation of Olfactory Ensheathing Cells to Evaluate Functional Recovery after Peripheral Nerve Injury

Published on: February 23, 2014

CNPase expression in olfactory ensheathing cells.

Christine Radtke¹, Masanori Sasaki, Karen L Lankford

¹Department of Neurology and Center for Neuroscience and Regeneration Research, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.

Journal of Biomedicine & Biotechnology

|December 17, 2011

Summary

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) show potential for nerve repair. These cells express CNPase, indicating their myelination capacity when transplanted into injured peripheral nerves.

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Coculture of Axotomized Rat Retinal Ganglion Neurons with Olfactory Ensheathing Glia, as an In Vitro Model of Adult Axonal Regeneration

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Published on: November 2, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cell Biology
Regenerative Medicine

Background:

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) are proposed for nerve and spinal cord injury repair.
A debate exists on whether OECs myelinate axons or recruit Schwann cells.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate OEC expression of 2-3-cyclic nucleotide 3-phosphodiesterase (CNPase) to assess myelination potential.
To determine if OECs myelinate axons in vivo after transplantation.

Main Methods:

Studied olfactory bulbs from CNPase promoter-driven eGFP transgenic mice.
Examined CNPase expression in OECs in situ and in vitro.
Transplanted OECs into transected peripheral nerves.

Main Results:

eGFP and CNPase expression confirmed in OECs within the olfactory bulb.
Cultured OECs showed intense eGFP and CNPase immunostaining.
Transplanted OECs associated with regenerated axons in peripheral nerve injuries.

Conclusions:

OECs express CNPase, indicating myelination potential.
OECs can myelinate axons when transplanted into injured peripheral nerves, despite not normally myelinating olfactory nerve axons.