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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

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 21, 2025

Recording Temperature-induced Neuronal Activity through Monitoring Calcium Changes in the Olfactory Bulb of Xenopus laevis
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Recording Temperature-induced Neuronal Activity through Monitoring Calcium Changes in the Olfactory Bulb of Xenopus laevis

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Parallel astrocyte calcium signaling modulates olfactory bulb responses.

Kevin Ung1, Burak Tepe1, Brandon Pekarek2

  • 1Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.

Journal of Neuroscience Research
|May 20, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Astrocytes, abundant brain cells, actively regulate olfactory circuits. Manipulating astrocyte activity impacts odor detection and discrimination, revealing their crucial role in sensory processing.

Keywords:
in vivoDREADDastrocytecalciumcircuitolfactory

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Glial Cell Biology
  • Sensory Systems

Background:

  • Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system.
  • They modulate synaptic function but are understudied in neuronal circuit function.
  • The mouse olfactory system provides a tractable model for studying glial-neuronal interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of astrocytes in modulating olfactory bulb responses.
  • To determine how astrocyte activity influences neuronal odor processing and behavior.

Main Methods:

  • In vivo widefield imaging of Ca2+ responses in genetically targeted astrocytes and neurons.
  • Chemical genetics to manipulate astrocyte Ca2+ activity.
  • Behavioral experiments to assess odor detection and discrimination.

Main Results:

  • Astrocytes exhibit odor response maps overlapping with excitatory neuronal activity.
  • Astrocyte activation inhibits odor-evoked neuronal activity.
  • Astrocyte manipulation affects odor detection thresholds and discrimination ability.

Conclusions:

  • Astrocyte calcium signaling plays an active role in olfactory sensory processing.
  • Astrocytes modulate olfactory behavior through the regulation of sensory circuits.