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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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Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

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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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Introduction to Special Senses01:26

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Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
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G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

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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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Introduction to Sensory Receptors01:31

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Sensory receptors are vital in our ability to perceive and interpret the world. Sensory receptors are specialized cells in the peripheral nervous system that respond to various stimuli and enable one to experience different sensations. Based on specific criteria, sensory receptors are classified into distinct types.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes
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Fundamental principles of the olfactory code.

Veit Grabe1, Silke Sachse1

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department of EvolutionaryNeuroethology, Hans-Knoell-Str. 8, 07745 Jena, Germany.

Bio Systems
|October 22, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Sensory coding helps animals interpret their environment and respond behaviorally. This review details how the olfactory system, particularly in fruit flies, processes diverse odor information into neural maps for decision-making.

Keywords:
Antennal lobeCombinatorial codingGene familyGlomeruliOdorantsOlfactionOlfactory bulbOlfactory receptors

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory system research
  • Sensory coding

Background:

  • Sensory coding is fundamental for species survival, enabling detection of environmental parameters like temperature, light, and chemicals.
  • Unlike stimuli like light or sound, odorants exist in a vast, multidimensional space, posing unique coding challenges.
  • The olfactory system must translate this complex odor array into a usable neural representation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline the steps involved in the olfactory code.
  • To describe the progression of olfactory information processing along the neural pathway.
  • To highlight similarities and differences in olfactory systems across species, focusing on Drosophila melanogaster.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on olfactory coding and processing.
  • Focus on studies utilizing the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model organism.
  • Comparative analysis with olfactory systems in other invertebrates and vertebrates.

Main Results:

  • The olfactory system encodes a vast range of odor stimuli.
  • Information progresses from peripheral organs to central brain areas for perception.
  • Drosophila melanogaster serves as a key model for understanding olfactory pathways.

Conclusions:

  • The olfactory system's ability to create neural maps is crucial for odor perception and guided behavior.
  • Understanding the olfactory code in model organisms like Drosophila provides insights into broader sensory processing principles.
  • Comparative studies reveal conserved and divergent strategies in olfactory system evolution.