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...
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...
Understanding Consciousness01:23

Understanding Consciousness

Consciousness can be defined as the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, sensations, and surroundings. It encompasses two major components: awareness and arousal. Awareness pertains to the recognition of environmental stimuli and internal states. At the same time, arousal refers to the physiological readiness to engage with these stimuli, which varies significantly between states like sleep and wakefulness.
Sleep, a crucial state, is characterized by reduced physical...
Subconsciousness and No Awareness01:15

Subconsciousness and No Awareness

The concept of subconscious awareness refers to the processing of information below the level of conscious thought, which significantly influences both behaviors and decisions. It is also known as waking subconscious awareness. This complex level of cognition operates without the direct awareness of the individual, facilitating rapid and simultaneous handling of multiple information streams.
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness01:19

High-Level and Low-Level Awareness

Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Staphylococcal proliferation on skin models to investigate novel anti-infective treatments against dysbiosis.

Bioengineering & translational medicine·2026
Same author

HERA: a web server for host element reference-based aligner.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

RegRegSEA: a web server for regulatory region set enrichment analysis of epigenomic data.

Nucleic acids research·2026
Same author

Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus mitigates PBC-like features in Mcpip1-deficient mice via modulation of gut-liver crosstalk.

Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular basis of disease·2026
Same author

Benchmarking large language models for pathogen-disease classification in post-acute infection syndromes.

Briefings in bioinformatics·2026
Same author

mRNA Sequencing of Limbal Epithelial Cells and mRNA/miRNA Profiling of Limbal Stromal Cells in <i>PAX6</i>-Related Congenital Aniridia.

Cells·2026
Same journal

Characterizing facilitators and barriers to Hypoglycemic Confidence among patients with diabetes: a qualitative descriptive study.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same journal

Psychometric evaluation and refinement of the 7DHW questionnaire for the German population.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same journal

Editorial: Ethical leadership and workplace equity: mediating and moderating mechanisms in emotional labor and well-being.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same journal

How organizational support promotes teacher professional recognition: a perspective on teachers' autonomous learning and teaching abilities.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same journal

From "performance competition arena" to "psychological exemption zone": psychological safety mechanisms in reverse mobility.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same journal

General and sport-specific mental toughness in university students: associations with personality traits and physical activity.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Published on: April 11, 2025

Attention and olfactory consciousness.

Andreas Keller1

  • 1Department of Philosophy, Graduate Center, City University of New York New York, NY, USA.

Frontiers in Psychology
|December 29, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Investigating olfactory attention reveals its crucial role in consciousness. This study explores how attention to smells, unlike visual attention, is necessary for conscious awareness, offering new insights into the attention-consciousness relationship.

Keywords:
attentionconsciousnessodorolfactionorbitofrontal cortexpiriform cortex

More Related Videos

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants
04:47

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants

Published on: September 18, 2018

Training Dogs for Awake, Unrestrained Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
07:59

Training Dogs for Awake, Unrestrained Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: October 13, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies

Published on: April 11, 2025

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants
04:47

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants

Published on: September 18, 2018

Training Dogs for Awake, Unrestrained Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
07:59

Training Dogs for Awake, Unrestrained Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: October 13, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychophysics

Background:

  • The relationship between attention and consciousness is a key area of study.
  • Spatial visual attention has been the primary focus, limiting broader understanding.
  • A law-like connection between attention and consciousness remains to be discovered.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce olfactory attention as a novel area of research.
  • To explore the mechanisms and neuroanatomy of attention and consciousness in olfaction.
  • To provide evidence that attention is necessary for olfactory consciousness.

Main Methods:

  • Taxonomic classification of olfactory attention within general attention frameworks.
  • Review of existing literature on olfactory system mechanisms, attention, and consciousness.
  • Analysis of experimental evidence linking olfactory attention to conscious perception.

Main Results:

  • Olfactory attention is systematically manipulable, similar to visual attention.
  • The olfactory system possesses distinct mechanisms for attention and consciousness.
  • Evidence suggests attention is a prerequisite for conscious olfactory experience.

Conclusions:

  • Olfactory attention offers a new paradigm for studying the attention-consciousness link.
  • Attention is necessary for consciousness, particularly in the olfactory modality.
  • Further research into sensory-specific attention can illuminate general principles of consciousness.