Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Divergent Thermal Feedbacks of Urbanization and Greening Modulate the Urban Heat Island in 21st-Century China.

Environmental science & technology·2026

Same author

Leaf Age-Dependent Volatile Cues Influence Host Location and Oviposition Preference of <i>Obolodiplosis robiniae</i> on <i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i>.

Insects·2026

Same author

DVB-cross-linked latex microspheres to uniformly host Eu(III) chelates with moderate swelling capacity for high performance quantitative LFIA strips.

The Analyst·2026

Same author

Sex and Individual Specificity in Behavioral Responses to Chemical Communication and Urinary Volatile Components in Captive Forest Musk Deer (<i>Moschus berezovskii</i>).

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026

Same author

Phenological Changes in the Fecal Microbiota of <i>Elaphurus davidianus</i> in Inner Mongolia Daqingshan National Nature Reserve.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026

Same author

Mix Design and Performance Analysis of Concrete with Limestone Powder Admixture.

Materials (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 23, 2025

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Olfactory Effects of Airborne Pollutants — Buried Food and Social Odor Tests

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Olfactory Effects of Airborne Pollutants — Buried Food and Social Odor Tests

Published on: September 13, 2024

Short-term particulate matter contamination severely compromises insect antennal olfactory perception.

Qike Wang^1,2, Genting Liu^1,2, Liping Yan¹

¹School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing, China.

Nature Communications

|July 11, 2023

Summary

Air pollution harms insects by depositing particulate matter on their antennae, impairing their sense of smell. This pollution

More Related Videos

Identification of Olfactory Volatiles using Gas Chromatography-Multi-unit Recordings GCMR in the Insect Antennal Lobe

Identification of Olfactory Volatiles using Gas Chromatography-Multi-unit Recordings GCMR in the Insect Antennal Lobe

Published on: February 24, 2013

A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays

A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays

Published on: November 30, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 23, 2025

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Olfactory Effects of Airborne Pollutants — Buried Food and Social Odor Tests

Author Spotlight: Assessing the Olfactory Effects of Airborne Pollutants — Buried Food and Social Odor Tests

Published on: September 13, 2024

Identification of Olfactory Volatiles using Gas Chromatography-Multi-unit Recordings GCMR in the Insect Antennal Lobe

Identification of Olfactory Volatiles using Gas Chromatography-Multi-unit Recordings GCMR in the Insect Antennal Lobe

Published on: February 24, 2013

A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays

A Wind Tunnel for Odor Mediated Insect Behavioural Assays

Published on: November 30, 2018

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Entomology
Toxicology

Background:

Sub-lethal effects of ambient air pollution on insects are often underestimated.
Particulate matter accumulation on insect antennae can disrupt sensory receptor function.
Insect population declines may be linked to widespread air pollution.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of particulate matter air pollution on housefly (Musca domestica) olfactory perception.
To determine if air pollution severity correlates with particulate matter accumulation on housefly antennae.
To assess the functional consequences of particulate matter exposure on insect olfaction.

Main Methods:

Collection of houseflies from an urban environment with varying air pollution levels.
Behavioral assays to assess olfactory responses.
Electrophysiological recordings (electroantennograms) to measure antennal sensitivity.
Transcriptomic analysis to identify molecular changes.

Main Results:

Antennal particulate matter density in houseflies increased with air pollution severity.
Exposure to particulate matter significantly compromised olfactory perception of food and reproductive odors.
Effects were observed in both male and female houseflies after brief exposure.

Conclusions:

Ambient air pollution, specifically particulate matter, detrimentally affects insect olfactory function.
Compromised olfaction due to pollution may contribute to declining insect populations globally, even in remote areas.
Particulate matter's long-range transport potential exacerbates its impact on insect health and survival.