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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...
Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...
Introduction to Special Senses01:26

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.
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...
Collisions in Multiple Dimensions: Introduction01:05

Collisions in Multiple Dimensions: Introduction

It is far more common for collisions to occur in two dimensions; that is, the initial velocity vectors are neither parallel nor antiparallel to each other. Let's see what complications arise from this. The first idea is that momentum is a vector. Like all vectors, it can be expressed as a sum of perpendicular components (usually, though not always, an x-component and a y-component, and a z-component if necessary). Thus, when the statement of conservation of momentum is written for a problem,...
Collisions in Multiple Dimensions: Problem Solving01:06

Collisions in Multiple Dimensions: Problem Solving

In multiple dimensions, the conservation of momentum applies in each direction independently. Hence, to solve collisions in multiple dimensions, we should write down the momentum conservation in each direction separately. To help understand collisions in multiple dimensions, consider an example.
A small car of mass 1,200 kg traveling east at 60 km/h collides at an intersection with a truck of mass 3,000 kg traveling due north at 40 km/h. The two vehicles are locked together. What is the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 16, 2026

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function
10:42

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

Published on: July 30, 2017

Smelling in multiple dimensions.

Christina M Agapakis1, Sissel Tolaas

  • 1Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States. agapakis@ucla.edu

Current Opinion in Chemical Biology
|November 27, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The sense of smell is complex and subjective, challenging simple good-or-bad categorizations. Understanding odors requires integrating chemistry, neuroscience, and social sciences for deeper insights.

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Published on: November 14, 2018

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Area of Science:

  • Olfactory science
  • Neuroscience
  • Aesthetics

Background:

  • Smell perception is often oversimplified as merely 'good' or 'bad'.
  • Objective measurement and definition of odors remain challenging due to subjectivity.

Observation:

  • Odor perception is a complex phenomenon influenced by multiple scientific disciplines.
  • Current understanding often fails to capture the nuanced nature of smells.

Findings:

  • Odor perception is multifaceted, integrating chemical, biological, and cognitive processes.
  • A comprehensive approach is needed to study the complexity of smell.

Implications:

  • Interdisciplinary research in olfaction can enhance our understanding of biology-chemistry interactions.
  • Exploring smell through science and art offers new avenues for sensory research.