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Related Concept Videos

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.
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Olfaction01:25

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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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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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GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
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Neuromodulation of olfactory transformations.

Christiane Linster1, Thomas A Cleland2

  • 1Computational Physiology Lab, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|August 27, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Neuromodulators like acetylcholine and serotonin in the olfactory system alter odor perception. Their overlapping functions suggest current hypotheses about specific roles may be insufficient.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory system research
  • Sensory processing

Background:

  • The mammalian olfactory system, including the olfactory bulb and piriform cortex, receives significant neuromodulatory input.
  • Neuromodulators such as acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and serotonin influence neuronal and synaptic functions within these olfactory structures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how neuromodulators impact olfactory system computations.
  • To understand the effects of neuromodulation on odor representation properties and perceptual performance.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of neuromodulatory inputs to olfactory structures.
  • Investigating the physiological effects of neuromodulators on neurons and synapses.
  • Examining alterations in odor representation specificity, detectability, and discriminability.

Main Results:

  • Neuromodulators alter physiological parameters, modifying sensory signal computations.
  • These alterations impact the specificity, detectability, and discriminability of odor representations.
  • Observed overlap in the functions of different neuromodulators.

Conclusions:

  • Neuromodulatory systems significantly shape olfactory perception.
  • The distinct functions attributed to specific neuromodulators may be less clear due to substantial overlap.
  • Current hypotheses on individual neuromodulator roles may require re-evaluation.