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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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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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Auditory pathways constitute the complex neural circuits responsible for transmitting and interpreting auditory information from the peripheral auditory system to the brain. Sound waves are initially captured by the outer ear, funneled through the ear canal, and reach the tympanic membrane (eardrum). These vibrations are transmitted via the middle ear's ossicles to the inner ear's cochlea.
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Visually Mediated Odor Tracking During Flight in Drosophila
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A neural circuit for wind-guided olfactory navigation.

Andrew M M Matheson1,2, Aaron J Lanz1, Ashley M Medina1

  • 1Neuroscience Institute, NYU Medical Center, 435 E 30th St., New York, NY, 10016, USA.

Nature Communications
|August 8, 2022
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Animals integrate odor and wind cues for navigation. This study identifies a neural pathway in Drosophila where these cues combine in the fan-shaped body, enabling directed upwind movement towards food sources.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Animal Behavior
  • Computational Biology

Background:

  • Animals use odor and wind cues to locate food sources.
  • The neural mechanisms integrating these cues for navigation remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how odor and wind direction cues are integrated in the brain to guide navigation.
  • To identify the neural pathways and cellular mechanisms underlying this integration in Drosophila.

Main Methods:

  • Neural pathway tracing and functional imaging in Drosophila.
  • Connectomics analysis to map neural circuits.
  • Optogenetic manipulation of neuronal activity.
  • Computational modeling of neural circuit function.

Main Results:

  • A novel neural pathway to the Drosophila fan-shaped body encodes attractive odor cues.
  • Fan-shaped body local neurons (h∆C) integrate odor and wind direction information.
  • Activation of h∆C neurons promotes directed navigation, and their activity is crucial for upwind orientation.

Conclusions:

  • Odor and wind cues are processed separately and integrated in the fan-shaped body.
  • This integration by h∆C neurons facilitates goal-directed navigation towards odor sources.