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Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

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...

Olfaction

Olfaction

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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Using Insect Electroantennogram Sensors on Autonomous Robots for Olfactory Searches

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Artificial Olfactory Signal Modulation for Detection in Changing Environments.

Mohamed F Hassan^1,2, Kamal El-Sankary¹, Michael S Freund¹

¹Department of Chemistry and Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada.

|February 13, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces thermal modulation for chemical sensor arrays, enabling odor identification in complex environments. This method captures diagnostic patterns and intensity information, outperforming traditional concentration modulation.

Keywords:

adaptive sensing artificial olfaction autonomous systems chemical sensing machine learning sensor arrays sensory modulation

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Area of Science:

Chemical Sensing
Materials Science
Bio-inspired Engineering

Background:

Animals utilize behavioral and neural mechanisms for sensing in complex environments.
Traditional chemical sensing often relies on concentration modulation, which has limitations in complex settings.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore thermal modulation as an alternative to concentration modulation for chemical sensor arrays.
To investigate the ability of thermal modulation to capture both odor identity and intensity information.

Main Methods:

Chemically diverse sensor arrays, based on carbon-black materials, were utilized.
Thermal modulation was applied using light at 25 mHz.
Arrays were exposed to various analytes at different concentrations.

Main Results:

Differential response patterns were observed based on odorant partitioning across the sensor array.
Thermal modulation successfully captured diagnostic patterns for odor identification.
Both odor identity and intensity information were successfully retrieved in complex environments.

Conclusions:

Thermal modulation offers a promising approach for enhanced chemical sensing.
This method provides a more robust way to identify odorants and their concentrations compared to traditional techniques.