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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...
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
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...
Vision01:24

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals
08:30

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals

Published on: October 31, 2011

Olfaction spontaneously highlights visual saliency map.

Kepu Chen1, Bin Zhou, Shan Chen

  • 1Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China, State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|August 16, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Smell guides visual attention, acting as an object feature that enhances saliency. This olfactory cue directs attention reflexively, overriding top-down biases and improving visual search.

Keywords:
attentionmulti-sensory integrationolfactionsaliency map

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals
08:30

Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals

Published on: October 31, 2011

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Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example
08:45

Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example

Published on: October 24, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Sensory Perception
  • Multimodal Integration

Background:

  • Attention is crucial for processing sensory information, typically modeled as a visual spotlight on a saliency map.
  • Existing models primarily focus on visual attention, with limited understanding of cross-modal influences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether olfactory stimuli can guide visual attention.
  • To determine if smell influences visual search performance and attentional biases.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized established attentional paradigms: the dot-probe and visual-search tasks.
  • Introduced olfactory stimuli congruent with visual targets to assess attentional capture.
  • Examined the independence and overriding capacity of olfactory-guided attention against top-down control.

Main Results:

  • Smell reflexively directed attention to congruent visual images.
  • Olfactory cues facilitated visual search without requiring visual imagery.
  • The effect of smell on attention was independent of and could override pre-existing top-down biases.

Conclusions:

  • Smell acts as an object feature, enhancing perceptual saliency and guiding visual attention.
  • Findings support a multimodal saliency map integrating both visual and olfactory inputs.
  • Olfactory stimuli play a significant role in modulating attentional processes.