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Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

49.6K
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...
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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.
The olfactory...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Controlled Odor Mimic Permeation Systems for Olfactory Training and Field Testing
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Olfactory Training Using Heavy and Light Weight Molecule Odors.

Sophia C Poletti1, Elisabeth Michel1, Thomas Hummel1

  • 1Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.

Perception
|October 6, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Olfactory training improves smell function in patients with acquired olfactory dysfunction. Heavy weight molecule odors showed greater improvement in postviral olfactory loss patients compared to light weight molecule odors.

Keywords:
anosmiadysosmiaheavy weight moleculelight weight moleculemolecular weightodorolfactionolfactory trainingsmellupper respiratory tract infection

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Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Science

Background:

  • Olfactory dysfunction is a common condition affecting quality of life.
  • Repeated odor exposure is a known method for olfactory rehabilitation.
  • The influence of odor molecular weight on olfactory training outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if molecular weight of odors impacts olfactory improvement in patients with acquired olfactory loss.
  • To compare the efficacy of olfactory training using heavy weight molecules (HWM) versus light weight molecules (LWM).

Main Methods:

  • A prospective study involving 96 patients with posttraumatic (PTOL) and postviral olfactory loss (PVOL).
  • Olfactory training conducted over 5 months using distinct sets of HWM or LWM odors.
  • Olfaction assessed pre- and post-training using the Sniffin' Sticks test.

Main Results:

  • Olfactory training led to significant improvements in olfaction for both PTOL and PVOL groups.
  • PVOL patients demonstrated a threefold greater improvement compared to PTOL patients.
  • Heavy weight molecule (HWM) training resulted in significantly better Phenyl Ethyl Alcohol (PEA) threshold scores in PVOL patients, but not in other subtests or PTOL patients.

Conclusions:

  • Olfactory training is an effective intervention for acquired olfactory dysfunction.
  • While HWM training showed a specific benefit for PEA thresholds in PVOL patients, overall differences between LWM and HWM training were not significant across all measures.
  • Future research may explore targeted odor selection for olfactory training based on patient-specific factors.