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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.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
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Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

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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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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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Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

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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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Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

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Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
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Gustation01:43

Gustation

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Gustation is a chemical sense that, along with olfaction (smell), contributes to our perception of taste. It starts with the activation of receptors by chemical compounds (tastants) dissolved in the saliva. The saliva and filiform papillae on the tongue distribute the tastants and increase their exposure to the taste receptors.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 5, 2026

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay
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Olfactory coding in the perception of semiochemicals.

J H Visser1, R de Jong

  • 1Department of Entomology, Wageningen Agricultural University, P.O. Box 8031, 6700, EH Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Journal of Chemical Ecology
|November 27, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Insect olfactory receptors detect chemical signals for mates and food using specialized or generalist processing. Some insect olfactory codes combine labeled lines and across-fiber patterns for complex odor perception.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Chemical Ecology
  • Insect Behavior

Background:

  • Insects rely on olfactory cues for vital behaviors like locating mates and food sources.
  • Semiochemicals, chemical signals used in communication, are often complex blends rather than single compounds.
  • Understanding how insects process these olfactory blends is crucial for insect behavior and pest management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the information processing mechanisms within the insect olfactory pathway.
  • To explore how olfactory receptors detect and differentiate complex chemical blends used as semiochemicals.
  • To compare olfactory processing strategies in different insect species.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings from olfactory receptors in insect antennae.
  • Analysis of neural activity patterns in response to various chemical stimuli, including binary mixtures.
  • Comparison of olfactory coding strategies, such as labeled lines and across-fiber patterns.

Main Results:

  • Insect olfactory receptors are tuned to specific compounds within semiochemical blends.
  • Olfactory processing can involve a combination of specialist (labeled lines) and generalist (across-fiber patterns) mechanisms.
  • In *Leptinotarsa decemlineata*, olfactory receptor activity separates into quantitative and qualitative detection channels, with complete separation in the antennal lobe.

Conclusions:

  • Insect olfactory systems exhibit diverse information processing strategies to interpret complex chemical signals.
  • The olfactory code is a sophisticated combination of receptor tuning and neural pattern analysis.
  • Neural processing in the antennal lobe refines olfactory information, enabling distinct detection channels.