Functional characterization of insect olfactory receptor neurons through in vivo approaches
1INRA, UMR1272 PISC, Versailles, France.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|April 16, 2013
Abstract:
Insects rely significantly on olfactory cues for recognition and finding of vital resources such as food and mates. Odor detection is mediated by primary sensory neurons housed in individualized cuticular structures, the sensilla. Using microelectrode-based techniques, it is possible to record the nervous activity inside specific sensilla after odor stimulation. We describe in this chapter the methods routinely used in our laboratory to stimulate, record, and analyze the activity of olfactory receptor neurons in moths or flies.
Related Concept Videos
01:03Olfactory 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...
01:25Olfaction
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...
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...