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Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

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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.
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Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

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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...
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Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

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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.
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Subliminal Perception01:15

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Subliminal perception refers to the processing of sensory information that occurs below the level of conscious awareness. Researchers study subliminal perception by presenting a stimulus, such as a word or image, very quickly, typically around 50 milliseconds. This rapid presentation is often followed by another stimulus, such as a pattern of dots or lines, which blocks further mental processing of the initial stimulus. As a result, if participants cannot identify the initial stimulus better...
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Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

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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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Sensation01:21

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Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of external stimuli, initiating the process known as sensation. This occurs when sensory input, such as light entering the eye, is detected by these receptors, causing chemical changes in the cells of the retina. These cells then convert the sensory stimulus into action potentials that are transmitted to the central nervous system, a process termed transduction.
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Brain responses to odor mixtures with sub-threshold components.

Thomas Hummel1, Selda Olgun, Johannes Gerber

  • 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technical University of Dresden Medical School Dresden, Germany.

Frontiers in Psychology
|October 30, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Even when people cannot consciously detect an odor in a mixture, brain activity in sensory areas changes. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to reveal these hidden effects of odor perception.

Keywords:
fMRImixingolfactorysmell

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory Perception
  • Sensory Processing

Background:

  • Most real-world odors are complex mixtures, yet brain processing of these mixtures is poorly understood.
  • Individual differences in odor perception exist, impacting how mixtures are experienced.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural processing of odor mixtures using behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
  • To determine if a target odor influences brain activity even when not consciously perceived within a mixture.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized behavioral tests and fMRI to assess brain responses to odor mixtures.
  • Compared brain activity between subjects sensitive and insensitive to a target odor (ambroxan) within a mixture.
  • Administered odor mixtures with and without the target odor to assess differential brain activation.

Main Results:

  • Subjects could not distinguish odor mixtures with or without the target odor on a behavioral level.
  • Sensitive subjects showed greater activation in brain regions like the insula when the target odor was present.
  • Both sensitive and insensitive groups exhibited altered brain activations when the target odor was included, though differences were more pronounced in the sensitive group.

Conclusions:

  • Odor mixtures can alter brain activity even when the target odor is not consciously detected.
  • Subliminal odor components can significantly impact cerebral processing of complex scents.
  • fMRI is a valuable tool for uncovering the hidden neural effects of odor perception in mixtures.