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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...

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...

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 3, 2025

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes

Quadruple Immunostaining of the Olfactory Bulb for Visualization of Olfactory Sensory Axon Molecular Identity Codes

Published on: June 5, 2017

Neuroscience: Seq-ing maps in the olfactory cortex.

Carolyn Diaz¹, Kevin M Franks¹, Robin M Blazing¹

¹Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical School, Durham, NC 27705, USA.

Current Biology : CB

|April 11, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers discovered topographic organization in olfactory cortex neural circuits. This finding resolves a long-standing question about spatial organization in brain regions processing smell.

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Last Updated: Aug 3, 2025

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Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory system research
Brain mapping

Background:

Cortical brain regions often exhibit spatial organization for efficient sensory representation.
Topographic maps, a common feature in sensory processing areas, have been notably absent in the olfactory cortex.
Understanding olfactory cortex organization is crucial for deciphering smell perception.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the presence or absence of topographic organization within the olfactory cortex.
To characterize the spatial arrangement of neural circuits connecting olfactory regions.
To determine if olfactory processing follows similar organizational principles as other sensory systems.

Main Methods:

Utilized a high-throughput neural tracing technique.
Analyzed the connectivity patterns between different olfactory cortical areas.
Employed advanced imaging and computational analysis to map neural pathways.

Main Results:

Demonstrated clear topographic organization in the neural circuits connecting olfactory regions.
Identified specific spatial relationships in how olfactory information is relayed.
Provided the first direct evidence of topographic mapping in the olfactory cortex.

Conclusions:

The olfactory cortex is spatially organized, challenging previous assumptions.
Neural circuits in the olfactory system exhibit topographic mapping.
This discovery opens new avenues for understanding olfactory coding and brain function.