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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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Using response consistency to probe olfactory knowledge.

Richard J Stevenson1, Mehmet K Mahmut

  • 1Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW2109, Australia. dick.stevenson@mq.edu.au

Chemical Senses
|January 11, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Even when familiar odors are inconsistently named, the emotional response of "liking" remains consistent. This suggests liking is a fundamental aspect of olfactory perception.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Science

Background:

  • Familiarity with objects and faces doesn't guarantee immediate naming.
  • The cognitive processing of familiar, yet unnamable, odors is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the reliability of responses to familiar odors that are inconsistently named.
  • To determine which aspects of olfactory perception remain stable despite naming variability.

Main Methods:

  • Two experiments were conducted comparing response reliability across different naming conditions.
  • Participants responded to questions about olfactory attributes (familiarity, edibility, intensity) and semantic differential scales (liking, activity, potency).
  • Conceptual questions about odor source and similarity were also assessed in Experiment 2.

Main Results:

  • Response consistency decreased significantly when odors were named differently across test occasions.
  • The "liking" response remained consistently reliable, even with high naming variability.
  • Other attributes like familiarity, edibility, intensity, activity, and potency showed reduced reliability.

Conclusions:

  • "Liking" appears to be the most stable and basic form of information processed by the olfactory system.
  • This suggests a fundamental emotional valence associated with odor perception, independent of explicit identification.