Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

47.8K
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...
47.8K
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

11.9K
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...
11.9K
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

11.0K
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...
11.0K
Opioid Receptors: Overview01:22

Opioid Receptors: Overview

3.7K
Opioid receptors, including the mu (μ, MOR), delta (δ, DOR), and kappa (κ, KOR) types, belong to the rhodopsin family of G protein-coupled receptors. These receptors are located throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems and in non-neuronal tissues such as macrophages and astrocytes. Opioid receptor ligands can be categorized into agonists or antagonists. Highly selective agonists include [d-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly(ol)5]-enkephalin or DAMGO for MOR, [D-Pen2,...
3.7K
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

5.4K
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.
Sensory...
5.4K
Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

7.2K
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...
7.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Learning enhances behaviorally relevant representations in apical dendrites.

eLife·2024
Same author

Spectral-switching analysis reveals real-time neuronal network representations of concurrent spontaneous naturalistic behaviors in human brain.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Combined ion beam irradiation platform and 3D fluorescence microscope for cellular cancer research.

Biomedical optics express·2024
Same author

Glioma-Induced Alterations in Excitatory Neurons are Reversed by mTOR Inhibition.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024
Same author

Neuromuscular basis of <i>Drosophila</i> larval rolling escape behavior.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2023
Same author

The spatial and temporal structure of neural activity across the fly brain.

Nature communications·2023
Same journal

A native sulfur deposit in Gale crater, Mars.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Coordinated demise of harmful algal blooms.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Genetic effects put into context.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Bacteria share proteins to survive antibiotics.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Impacts shaped Earth's first continents.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same journal

Erratum for the Report "Covalently bonded single-molecule junctions with stable and reversible photoswitched conductivity" by C. Jia <i>et al</i>.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 24, 2025

Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor
10:16

Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor

Published on: July 13, 2015

27.2K

Widespread receptor-driven modulation in peripheral olfactory coding.

Lu Xu1, Wenze Li2, Venkatakaushik Voleti2

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, NY, 10027, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 11, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Complex odor mixtures challenge the olfactory system. New research reveals that odorant interactions in the nose, not just receptor activation, enhance smell

More Related Videos

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
09:53

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

Published on: April 23, 2019

7.4K
High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity
12:02

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity

Published on: June 2, 2014

12.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 24, 2025

Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor
10:16

Perforated Patch-clamp Recording of Mouse Olfactory Sensory Neurons in Intact Neuroepithelium: Functional Analysis of Neurons Expressing an Identified Odorant Receptor

Published on: July 13, 2015

27.2K
Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
09:53

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

Published on: April 23, 2019

7.4K
High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity
12:02

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity

Published on: June 2, 2014

12.9K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory system biology
  • Sensory processing

Background:

  • Olfactory perception of single odors is understood, but real-world smell involves complex mixtures.
  • The neural mechanisms underlying the processing of odor blends remain largely unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how olfactory sensory neurons respond to complex odor mixtures.
  • To understand the mechanisms of peripheral modulation in olfactory processing.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized high-throughput Swept Confocally Aligned Planar Excitation (SCAPE) microscopy.
  • Imaged approximately 10,000 olfactory sensory neurons in parallel within intact mouse olfactory epithelium.
  • Analyzed cellular responses to various odor blends.

Main Results:

  • Odor mixtures did not produce simple additive responses in most neurons.
  • Observed significant antagonistic and synergistic (enhancement) interactions between odorants at the neuronal level.
  • Found that all tested odors acted as both agonists and antagonists depending on the receptor and mixture context.

Conclusions:

  • Peripheral interactions between odorants significantly modulate olfactory sensory neuron responses.
  • This peripheral modulation enhances the olfactory system's capacity to discriminate complex odor mixtures.
  • The findings suggest a more complex processing of smell in the periphery than previously appreciated.