Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Mechanisms and implications of high depolarization baseline offsets in conductance-based neuronal models.

Journal of neurophysiology·2025

Same author

Discriminating neural ensemble patterns through dendritic computations in randomly connected feedforward networks.

eLife·2025

Same author

Understanding molecular signaling cascades in neural disease using multi-resolution models.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2023

Same author

Combining hypothesis- and data-driven neuroscience modeling in FAIR workflows.

eLife·2022

Same author

Adult brain neurons require continual expression of the schizophrenia-risk gene Tcf4 for structural and functional integrity.

Translational psychiatry·2021

Same author

Correction: Precise excitation-inhibition balance controls gain and timing in the hippocampus.

eLife·2021

Same journal

Translational profiling of Drd2-expressing populations reveals molecular heterogeneity of dentate gyrus mossy cells along the dorsoventral axis.

eNeuro·2026

Same journal

Movement Disorder Patients with Depression have Altered Corticostriatal Alpha-Beta Power Response to Reward and Loss.

eNeuro·2026

Same journal

Ocular speech tracking persists in blindness, but its dynamics and oculo-cerebral connectivity depend on visual status.

eNeuro·2026

Same journal

Emergent multidien cycles from partial circadian synchrony.

eNeuro·2026

Same journal

Adolescent social isolation induces persistent impairments in emotional discrimination and helping behavior.

eNeuro·2026

Same journal

Increased Ih Current Is Associated with Reduced Hippocampal CA1 Excitability in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis.

eNeuro·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Published on: August 4, 2014

Robust and Rapid Air-Borne Odor Tracking without Casting.

Urvashi Bhattacharyya¹, Upinder Singh Bhalla¹

¹National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR , Bangalore, Karnataka 560065, India.

|December 15, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Rats use a "run-and-scan" strategy to find odor sources in familiar environments, directly approaching targets and then searching if incorrect. This method is faster and more robust than casting, especially with known odor locations.

Keywords:

behavioral strategy navigation olfaction stereo turbulence

More Related Videos

A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays

A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays

Published on: November 30, 2018

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Published on: August 27, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

Published on: August 4, 2014

A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays

A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays

Published on: November 30, 2018

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Electroantennography-based Bio-hybrid Odor-detecting Drone using Silkmoth Antennae for Odor Source Localization

Published on: August 27, 2021

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Animal Behavior
Olfactory Navigation

Background:

Casting (zigzagging) is typical for tracking airborne odors in open environments.
Terrestrial odor localization often involves navigating familiar surroundings.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate odor-seeking strategies in rats within a familiar, multi-choice environment.
Compare direct approach and serial sampling with casting behavior.

Main Methods:

Rats were trained to locate an odor source in a specialized olfactory arena.
Behavioral responses to perturbations like novel odors and unilateral nostril occlusion were recorded.

Main Results:

Rats exhibited direct runs to odor ports, followed by serial sampling if the initial choice was incorrect.
This strategy remained accurate despite environmental challenges such as turbulence and background odors.

Conclusions:

The 'run-and-scan' strategy is a rapid and robust method for odor localization in familiar settings.
This approach combines best-guess target selection with fallback serial sampling for efficient odor source identification.