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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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Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

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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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Gustation01:43

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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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Synaptic Signaling01:09

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Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
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Synaptic Signaling01:12

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Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
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Author Spotlight: Exploring Glial Influence in Experience-Dependent Synaptic Pruning During Critical Periods
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Synaptic clusters function as odor operators in the olfactory bulb.

Michele Migliore1, Francesco Cavarretta2, Addolorata Marasco3

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520; Institute of Biophysics, National Research Council, 90146 Palermo, Italy; michele.migliore@cnr.it.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|June 24, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study reveals how the olfactory bulb (OB) processes odor information using "glomerular units." These units, formed by microcircuit interactions, act as unique "odor operators" for distinct smells, offering testable predictions.

Keywords:
granule cellsmitral cellsnetwork self-organizationodor codingolfactory bulb system

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Computational Neuroscience
  • Olfactory System Research

Background:

  • The microcircuit operations of the olfactory bulb (OB) in organizing and processing odor inputs remain largely uncharacterized.
  • Understanding OB function is crucial for deciphering sensory processing and neural computation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the fundamental mechanisms underlying odor processing within the OB microcircuit.
  • To identify how odor-activated synaptic clusters, termed "glomerular units," are formed and interact.
  • To develop a theoretical framework for OB function, conceptualizing it as containing unique "odor operators."

Main Methods:

  • Development of a 3D computational model simulating mitral and granule cell interactions.
  • Integration of experimental findings into the model.
  • Application of a matrix-based representation for analyzing glomerular operations.

Main Results:

  • Identification of mechanisms for forming single or multiple glomerular units per odor.
  • Characterization of inter-unit interactions and interference during olfactory learning.
  • Elucidation of the computational role of glomerular units within the OB microcircuit.

Conclusions:

  • The OB microcircuit forms unique "glomerular units" that function as "odor operators."
  • This framework provides novel, experimentally verifiable predictions about olfactory processing.
  • The study advances theoretical understanding of neural computation in sensory systems.