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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 2, 2026

Author Spotlight: Exploring Olfactory Influences on Corticospinal Excitability - Insights and Innovations in Neurological Research
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Spontaneous Rapid Odor Source Localization Behavior Requires Interhemispheric Communication.

José Esquivelzeta Rabell1, Kadir Mutlu1, João Noutel2

  • 1Neuroelectronics Research Flanders, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.

Current Biology : CB
|May 16, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mice use exploratory sniffing to locate novel smells, orienting their nostrils toward new odors within one sniff. This rapid odor localization relies on interhemispheric information transfer and anterior olfactory nucleus activation.

Keywords:
anterior commissureanterior olfactory nucleusexploratory sniffinginfrared thermographynoveltyodor source localizationoptogeneticsorienting response

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory processing
  • Animal behavior

Background:

  • Accurate olfactory perception is crucial for survival, guiding navigation, foraging, and predator avoidance in rodents.
  • Rodents exhibit exploratory sniffing, characterized by high-frequency respiration, to monitor airborne chemicals and respond to novel odorants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a non-contact method using infrared thermography to measure respiration during novelty-induced exploratory sniffing in mice.
  • To investigate the neural mechanisms and behavioral responses underlying rapid odor source localization.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a novel, non-contact infrared thermography technique to measure mouse respiration during odor presentation.
  • Validated the method against invasive nasal pressure measurements, confirming reliable detection of inhalation onsets.
  • Utilized a behavioral paradigm with head-restrained mice exposed to novel and familiar odor stimuli.

Main Results:

  • Mice spontaneously oriented their nostrils toward novel odors, initiating this response within the first sniff.
  • Transection of the anterior commissure (AC) impaired odor orienting, indicating the necessity of interhemispheric information transfer.
  • Asymmetric activation of the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) was found to be both necessary and sufficient for eliciting orienting responses.

Conclusions:

  • The study presents a reliable non-contact method for measuring respiratory responses to olfactory stimuli.
  • Findings suggest that mice compare olfactory information from both nostrils to rapidly localize odor sources.
  • The anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) plays a critical role in processing inter-nostril differences for efficient odor source localization.