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Olfaction

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.
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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.
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Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

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...

Sensory Memory

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Conditioned taste aversion, also known as sauce béarnaise syndrome, is a phenomenon in which an individual develops an aversion to a certain food taste following a negative experience, typically illness. This form of aversion is a type of classical conditioning in which the taste of the food (conditioned stimulus, CS) is associated with the experience of illness (unconditioned stimulus, UCS).
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 3, 2026

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants

Published on: September 18, 2018

Scent-evoked nostalgia.

Chelsea A Reid¹, Jeffrey D Green, Tim Wildschut

¹a Department of Psychology , Virginia Commonwealth University , Richmond , VA , USA.

Memory (Hove, England)

|January 25, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Scents can powerfully evoke nostalgia, especially when familiar and arousing. This scent-evoked nostalgia is linked to enhanced psychological well-being, including positive emotions and self-esteem.

Keywords:

Autobiographical memory Nostalgia Olfaction Psychological functions Scent-evoked nostalgia

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Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Published on: April 23, 2019

Area of Science:

Psychology
Neuroscience
Sensory Science

Background:

Olfactory stimuli are uniquely linked to memory and emotion.
Nostalgia is a complex emotion with significant psychological benefits.
The specific role of scent in triggering nostalgia and its implications remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether scents can evoke nostalgia.
To explore the psychological characteristics and implications of scent-evoked nostalgia.
To identify factors influencing the evocation of nostalgia by scents.

Main Methods:

Participants rated 12 scents on familiarity, arousal, autobiographical relevance, and nostalgia.
Nostalgia proneness was assessed.
Correlational analyses examined relationships between scent characteristics, nostalgia proneness, and psychological outcomes.

Main Results:

Higher nostalgia proneness correlated with greater scent-evoked nostalgia.
Scents eliciting nostalgia were rated as more arousing, familiar, and autobiographically relevant.
Scent-evoked nostalgia positively predicted affect, self-esteem, self-continuity, optimism, social connectedness, and meaning in life.
Scent-evoked nostalgia featured more positive emotions than other memory types.

Conclusions:

Scents serve as potent triggers for nostalgia.
Scent-evoked nostalgia is associated with significant psychological benefits and a positive emotional signature.
Understanding scent-evoked nostalgia offers insights into memory, emotion, and well-being.