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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...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

The Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo
08:29

The Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo

Published on: October 30, 2014

Illuminating vertebrate olfactory processing.

Hartwig Spors1, Dinu Florin Albeanu, Venkatesh N Murthy

  • 1Department of Molecular Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. haspors@biophys.mpg.de

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|October 12, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The olfactory system processes odor information using complex neural activity patterns. Recent research explores how these patterns influence behavior and brain function, offering insights into neuronal computations.

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Recording Temperature-induced Neuronal Activity through Monitoring Calcium Changes in the Olfactory Bulb of Xenopus laevis

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Last Updated: May 17, 2026

The Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo
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Functional Evaluation of Olfactory Pathways in Living Xenopus Tadpoles
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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory System Research
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • The olfactory system decodes molecular information via spatiotemporal neural activity patterns.
  • Understanding these patterns is crucial for explaining behavior and brain function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in understanding olfactory information processing.
  • To highlight mechanisms of odor encoding and behavioral control.
  • To discuss functional connectivity in olfactory brain areas.

Main Methods:

  • In vivo recordings
  • Optogenetics
  • Analysis of spatiotemporal neuronal activity patterns

Main Results:

  • Revealed multifaceted mechanisms of olfactory processing.
  • Demonstrated the impact of neural activity patterns on higher-order neurons and behavior.
  • Provided insights into fundamental neuronal computations.

Conclusions:

  • Olfactory processing involves complex spatiotemporal neural dynamics.
  • Further research continues to elucidate the link between neural activity, processing, and behavior.