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Related Concept Videos

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

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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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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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Gene transcription is regulated by the synergistic action of several proteins that form a complex at a gene regulatory site. This is observed in eukaryotes, where the regulation of gene expression is a complex process. Regulatory proteins in eukaryotes can broadly be classified into two types – regulators that bind directly to specific DNA sequences and co-regulators that associate with regulatory proteins but cannot directly bind to the DNA. These co-regulators are further divided into...
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Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are present in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Though eukaryotes have 20 different aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases to couple to 20 amino acids, many bacteria do not have genes for all of these aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases. Despite this, they still use all 20 amino acids to synthesize their proteins. For instance, some bacteria do not have the gene encoding the enzyme that couples glutamine with its partner tRNA. In these organisms, one enzyme adds glutamic acid to all of the...
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Activation energy is the minimum amount of energy necessary for a chemical reaction to move forward. The higher the activation energy, the slower the rate of the reaction. However, adding heat to the reaction will increase the rate, since it causes molecules to move faster and increase the likelihood that molecules will collide. The collision and breaking of bonds represents the uphill phase of a reaction and generates the transition state. The transition state is an unstable high-energy state...
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Transcription activators are proteins that promote the transcription of genes from DNA to RNA. In most cases, these proteins contain two separate domains ‒ a domain that binds to DNA and a domain for activating transcription; however, in some cases, a single domain is responsible for both binding and activation of transcription, as seen in the glucocorticoid receptor and MyoD.
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High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity
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Olfactory navigation versus olfactory activation: a controversy revisited.

Charles Walcott1, Wolfgang Wiltschko2, Roswitha Wiltschko2

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

Journal of Comparative Physiology. A, Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology
|July 2, 2018
PubMed
Summary

The olfactory-navigation hypothesis suggests pigeons use learned odor maps for homing. New research challenges the olfactory-activation hypothesis, which posits odors merely activate navigation systems, potentially resolving this long-standing debate.

Keywords:
Atmospheric odorantsHomingOlfactory-activation hypothesisOlfactory-navigation hypothesisPigeon

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Area of Science:

  • Avian navigation and homing behavior.
  • Sensory biology and animal behavior.

Background:

  • The olfactory-navigation hypothesis proposes pigeons use learned odor maps for homing.
  • The olfactory-activation hypothesis suggests odors activate non-olfactory navigation systems.
  • Both hypotheses have faced considerable scientific debate and investigation.

Discussion:

  • A recent study challenges the olfactory-activation hypothesis.
  • This study's findings are assessed within the broader context of avian olfaction.
  • The editorial discusses the implications for understanding pigeon homing mechanisms.

Key Insights:

  • Olfaction plays a critical role in avian navigation.
  • Distinguishing between odor-based maps and odor-activated systems is key.
  • Experimental evidence is crucial for resolving the controversy.

Outlook:

  • Further experiments are proposed to differentiate between the two hypotheses.
  • Resolving the olfactory-navigation vs. olfactory-activation debate will advance our understanding of animal navigation.
  • This research contributes to the field of sensory ecology and animal behavior.