Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Distributed control circuits across a brain-and-cord connectome.

Nature·2026

Same author

Specialized parallel pathways for adaptive control of visual object pursuit.

Neuron·2026

Same author

Distributed control circuits across a brain-and-cord connectome.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Multimodal cue integration and learning in a neural representation of head direction.

Nature neuroscience·2025

Same author

A cell type in the visual system that receives feedback about limb movement.

Current biology : CB·2025

Same author

Specialized parallel pathways for adaptive control of visual object pursuit.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Whole Mount Immunolabeling of Olfactory Receptor Neurons in the Drosophila Antenna

Whole Mount Immunolabeling of Olfactory Receptor Neurons in the Drosophila Antenna

Published on: May 4, 2014

Early olfactory processing in Drosophila: mechanisms and principles.

Rachel I Wilson¹

¹Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. rachel_wilson@hms.harvard.edu

Annual Review of Neuroscience

|July 12, 2013

Summary

This review details the neurophysiology of the fruit fly's olfactory system, covering olfactory receptor neurons and antennal lobe targets. It highlights cellular mechanisms shaping odor representations and their implications for sensory processing.

More Related Videos

Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila

Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila

Published on: June 13, 2018

Olfactory Behaviors Assayed by Computer Tracking Of Drosophila in a Four-quadrant Olfactometer

Olfactory Behaviors Assayed by Computer Tracking Of Drosophila in a Four-quadrant Olfactometer

Published on: August 20, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 9, 2026

Whole Mount Immunolabeling of Olfactory Receptor Neurons in the Drosophila Antenna

Whole Mount Immunolabeling of Olfactory Receptor Neurons in the Drosophila Antenna

Published on: May 4, 2014

Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila

Preparing Developing Peripheral Olfactory Tissue for Molecular and Immunohistochemical Analysis in Drosophila

Published on: June 13, 2018

Olfactory Behaviors Assayed by Computer Tracking Of Drosophila in a Four-quadrant Olfactometer

Olfactory Behaviors Assayed by Computer Tracking Of Drosophila in a Four-quadrant Olfactometer

Published on: August 20, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory System Research
Drosophila melanogaster Model System

Background:

The fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) offers a simplified model for studying neural activity in specific olfactory processing channels.
Previous research has established the fruit fly olfactory system as a powerful tool for understanding fundamental principles of olfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the neurophysiology of the initial two layers of the Drosophila olfactory system.
To elucidate the cellular and synaptic mechanisms governing odor representations in olfactory receptor neurons and their targets.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on the neurophysiology of the Drosophila olfactory system.
Focus on in vivo measurements of neural activity in peripheral olfactory receptor neurons and antennal lobe circuits.

Main Results:

Detailed understanding of cellular and synaptic mechanisms shaping odor representations.
Identification of neural adaptations to environmental statistics within the olfactory system.
Recognition of fundamental constraints on early sensory processing impacting higher brain regions.

Conclusions:

The mechanisms identified suggest significant neural adaptations to environmental sensory data.
These mechanisms impose constraints on early sensory processing, presenting challenges for subsequent neural computations.
Findings offer generalizable principles applicable to early sensory processing across different modalities.