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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.
The olfactory...
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Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

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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.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
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Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

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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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Nervous Tissue: Neuron Types01:19

Nervous Tissue: Neuron Types

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Neurons, the fundamental units of the nervous system, can be classified based on both their structural and functional characteristics.
Structurally, neurons are categorized into three main types: multipolar, bipolar, and unipolar (or pseudounipolar). Multipolar neurons, which are the most common type in the brain and spinal cord, as well as all motor neurons, possess multiple dendrites and a single axon.
Bipolar neurons, on the other hand, have one primary dendrite and one axon. They are...
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Adrenergic Neurons: Neurotransmission01:27

Adrenergic Neurons: Neurotransmission

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Postganglionic sympathetic fibers (except those supplying the sweat glands) releasing noradrenaline or norepinephrine are called noradrenergic or adrenergic neurons. Noradrenaline, dopamine, adrenaline, or epinephrine are collectively called "catecholamines" as they contain a catechol moiety and an amine side chain. The five stages of neurotransmitter release involve their synthesis, storage, release, reuptake and metabolism.
Synthesis: Catecholamine synthesis requires tyrosine, which...
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The Physiology of Taste01:24

The Physiology of Taste

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The perception of a salty flavor is facilitated by sodium ions within the oral salivary fluid. Upon consumption of a salty substance, salt crystals disassemble, leading to the liberation of its constituents—Na+ and Cl- ions. These ions subsequently dissolve into the salivary fluid present in the oral cavity. The external environment of the gustatory cells experiences an elevation in Na+ concentration, thereby establishing a potent concentration gradient. This gradient propels the...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 6, 2025

A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation
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A Lateralized Odor Learning Model in Neonatal Rats for Dissecting Neural Circuitry Underpinning Memory Formation

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Most primary olfactory neurons have individually neutral effects on behavior.

Tayfun Tumkaya1,2, Safwan Burhanudin1, Asghar Khalilnezhad1

  • 1Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore.

Elife
|January 19, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Most olfactory receptor neurons in fruit flies do not individually guide behavior. Instead, complex interactions within neuronal ensembles create potent attraction or avoidance responses to odors.

Keywords:
D. melanogasterbehaviorneuroscienceodorolfactionolfactory receptor neuronoptogeneticsvalence

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

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Biology
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • Animals rely on olfactory receptors for vital functions like finding food, mates, and avoiding danger.
  • The precise role of individual olfactory sensory neurons and their combinations in driving complex behaviors remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the behavioral impact of activating individual olfactory receptor neuron (ORN) classes in *Drosophila*.
  • To explore the rules governing behavioral responses when combinations of ORN classes are activated.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized optogenetic techniques to precisely activate specific ORN classes in *Drosophila*.
  • Mapped the avoidance or attraction behaviors elicited by single ORN class activation.
  • Examined behavioral responses to two-way ORN class combinations and compared them to single-class responses.

Main Results:

  • Only one-fifth of tested ORN types individually elicited significant attraction or avoidance.
  • Neither wind nor hunger significantly modulated single-class olfactory responses.
  • Observed behavioral patterns from combined ORN activation were inconsistent with simple additive pooling rules.

Conclusions:

  • The majority of primary olfactory sensory neurons appear to have neutral individual behavioral effects.
  • Behavioral responses to odors likely emerge from complex interactions within broad, odor-elicited neuronal ensembles.
  • Understanding these ensemble dynamics is crucial for deciphering complex olfactory-driven behaviors.