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Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

49.3K
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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Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 7, 2026

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
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Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

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Simplifying the Odor Landscape.

Casey Trimmer1, Joel D Mainland1,2

  • 1Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Chemical Senses
|February 16, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers identified specific olfactory receptors (ORs) for key food odors in wine and onions. This simplifies matching odorants to receptors by focusing on relevant, ecologically sourced scents.

Keywords:
genetic variabilitykey food odorsodorolfactiononionwine

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Area of Science:

  • Olfactory receptor research
  • Chemosensation
  • Food science

Background:

  • Identifying odorant-receptor pairs is challenging due to the vast number of detectable odors.
  • Focusing on perceptually relevant food odors may simplify the process of matching olfactory receptors (ORs) to their ligands.
  • Previous research highlights the complexity of the olfactory system and the need for efficient screening methods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To simplify the identification of olfactory receptors (ORs) by focusing on ecologically relevant food odorants.
  • To identify specific ORs responsible for detecting key food odors found in red wine and onions.
  • To investigate the tuning properties (broad vs. narrow) of olfactory receptors activated by these food odors.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a framework focusing on perceptually relevant food odors to screen olfactory receptors (ORs).
  • Tested the sensitivity of specific ORs, including OR1A1 and OR2M3, against key odorants from red wine and onions.
  • Analyzed the tuning characteristics of the activated olfactory receptors.

Main Results:

  • Identified highly sensitive olfactory receptors (ORs) for two key food odorants.
  • Found that the broadly tuned OR1A1 was activated by a red wine odorant.
  • Determined that the narrowly tuned OR2M3 was activated by an onion odorant.

Conclusions:

  • Screening olfactory receptors (ORs) against ecologically relevant odors is an advantageous approach.
  • The study provides specific examples of ORs responding to important food-related odorants.
  • This research contributes to understanding olfactory perception and highlights limitations in current OR screening methodologies.