Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

50.1K
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...
50.1K
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

14.4K
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...
14.4K
Neural Circuits01:25

Neural Circuits

3.3K
Neural circuits and neuronal pools are two of the main structures found in the nervous system. Neural circuits are networks of neurons that work together to carry out a specific task or process. They consist of interconnected neurons and glial cells, which provide structural and metabolic support.
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...
3.3K
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

14.7K
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...
14.7K
Propagation of Action Potentials01:23

Propagation of Action Potentials

15.7K
The propagation of an action potential refers to the process by which a nerve impulse, or "action potential," travels along a neuron.
Neurons (nerve cells) have a resting membrane potential, with a slightly negative charge inside compared to outside. This is maintained by ion channels, such as sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) channels, which control the flow of ions. When a stimulus, like a touch or a signal from another neuron, triggers the neuron, sodium channels open, allowing sodium ions to...
15.7K
Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error00:59

Propagation of Uncertainty from Random Error

2.2K
An experiment often consists of more than a single step. In this case, measurements at each step give rise to uncertainty. Because the measurements occur in successive steps, the uncertainty in one step necessarily contributes to that in the subsequent step. As we perform statistical analysis on these types of experiments, we must learn to account for the propagation of uncertainty from one step to the next. The propagation of uncertainty depends on the type of arithmetic operation performed on...
2.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

SynaptoTagMe, a toolkit for in vivo mapping and modulating neurotransmission at single-cell resolution.

eLife·2026
Same author

Deconstructing a behavioral state: parallel neural integrators control distinct features of an aversive behavioral state in <i>C. elegans</i>.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Author Correction: Shared receptors in axon guidance: SAX-3/Robo signals via UNC-34/Enabled and a Netrin-independent UNC-40/DCC function.

Nature neuroscience·2026
Same author

Neuronal regulation of infection recovery prevents pathogenic stress and tissue damage.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Identification of bacterial signals that modulate enteric sensory neurons to influence behavior in C. elegans.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same author

Neural sequences underlying directed turning in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Nature neuroscience·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: April 11, 2025

1.1K

Feedback from network states generates variability in a probabilistic olfactory circuit.

Andrew Gordus1, Navin Pokala1, Sagi Levy1

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Lulu and Anthony Wang Laboratory of Neural Circuits and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.

Cell
|March 17, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Behavioral variability arises from how neuronal circuits process sensory information. In C. elegans, network states, not just sensory input, dictate the probabilistic timing of odor responses, influencing behavior.

More Related Videos

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding
10:59

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

Published on: June 29, 2017

10.1K
Author Spotlight: Exploring Glial Influence in Experience-Dependent Synaptic Pruning During Critical Periods
07:13

Author Spotlight: Exploring Glial Influence in Experience-Dependent Synaptic Pruning During Critical Periods

Published on: March 1, 2024

1.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: April 11, 2025

1.1K
New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding
10:59

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

Published on: June 29, 2017

10.1K
Author Spotlight: Exploring Glial Influence in Experience-Dependent Synaptic Pruning During Critical Periods
07:13

Author Spotlight: Exploring Glial Influence in Experience-Dependent Synaptic Pruning During Critical Periods

Published on: March 1, 2024

1.2K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Biology
  • Computational Neuroscience

Background:

  • Behavioral variability is crucial for adaptive strategies.
  • Understanding the neural basis of this variability is key to deciphering complex behaviors.
  • The C. elegans chemotaxis circuit provides a model for studying sensory information processing and behavioral output.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how neuronal circuits control behavioral variability.
  • To examine the propagation of sensory information in the C. elegans chemotaxis circuit.
  • To determine the role of network states in modulating probabilistic behavioral responses to olfactory stimuli.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of sensory information propagation in the C. elegans chemotaxis circuit.
  • Recording neuronal activity in olfactory neurons and AIB interneurons.
  • Investigating the influence of collective neuronal activity (AIB, RIM, AVA) on odor response timing.
  • Artificially manipulating network activity states to assess impact on response reliability.

Main Results:

  • Olfactory neurons show rapid, reliable responses to odor stimuli.
  • Downstream AIB interneurons exhibit probabilistic delays in their response to odor.
  • Specific network activity states correlate with reliable odor responses.
  • Artificially inducing these network states enhanced interneuron and behavioral reliability.

Conclusions:

  • The integration of sensory information with pre-existing network states is a critical mechanism for generating behavioral variability.
  • Network state influences the probabilistic processing of sensory inputs, impacting behavioral outcomes.
  • This mechanism may represent a general principle for controlling behavioral variability across different systems.