Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

8.6K
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...
8.6K
Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

44.4K
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...
44.4K
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

9.3K
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...
9.3K
Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

5.9K
Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive...
5.9K
G-Protein Gated Ion Channels01:21

G-Protein Gated Ion Channels

4.6K
GPCRs are primarily responsible for our sense of smell, taste, and vision.  The binding of a sensory stimulus activates GPCR to stimulate effector proteins, many of which are ion channels in the sensory organs. GPCRs modulate the opening and closing of the target ion channels either directly by binding them, or by releasing second messengers that activate these channels. As ions move across the membrane, the membrane potential is altered, which induces an appropriate response.
Sensory...
4.6K
Taste Buds and Receptors01:20

Taste Buds and Receptors

2.2K
Gustation, or the sense of taste, is intrinsically linked to the anatomical structures located on the tongue. This organ's surface, along with the entirety of the oral cavity, is adorned with stratified squamous epithelium. Evident on the tongue are elevated structures known as papillae (singular = papilla), which house the mechanisms for the transduction of gustatory stimuli. Four distinct types of papillae exist, each identified by their unique morphological attributes: the circumvallate,...
2.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

MR KLEAN: a Generalized Acquisition-agnostic LLR k-Space Denoising Method for High-dimensional Imaging.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Correction to: Leveraging multi-echo EPI to enhance BOLD sensitivity in task-based olfactory fMRI.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2025
Same author

Leveraging multi-echo EPI to enhance BOLD sensitivity in task-based olfactory fMRI.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2025
Same author

Predictive coding in the human olfactory system.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2025
Same author

Direct Piriform-to-Auditory Cortical Projections Shape Auditory-Olfactory Integration.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2024
Same author

Direct piriform-to-auditory cortical projections shape auditory-olfactory integration.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
09:53

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Published on: April 23, 2019

7.1K

What Does the Human Olfactory System Do, and How Does It Do It?

Gülce Nazlı Dikeçligil1, Jay A Gottfried1,2

  • 1Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; email: nazdikec@pennmedicine.upenn.edu, jaygottf@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

Annual Review of Psychology
|October 3, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The human sense of smell, or olfaction, is more sophisticated than previously thought. Recent research highlights its complex processing of odor information for behavior.

Keywords:
fMRIfunctional magnetic resonance imaginghuman olfactionhuman peripheral olfactory systemintracranial electroencephalogramodor perceptionsensory neuroscience

More Related Videos

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: April 11, 2025

277
A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function
10:42

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

Published on: July 30, 2017

9.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase
09:53

Real-time In Vitro Monitoring of Odorant Receptor Activation by an Odorant in the Vapor Phase

Published on: April 23, 2019

7.1K
Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
08:36

Constructing an Olfactometer for Rodent Olfactory Behavior Studies Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: April 11, 2025

277
A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function
10:42

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

Published on: July 30, 2017

9.7K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Olfactory system research

Background:

  • Human olfaction historically undervalued compared to other senses.
  • COVID-19 pandemic increased focus on the sense of smell.
  • Growing evidence supports the keen capabilities of the human nose.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Provide a concise overview of human olfactory neuroscience.
  • Focus on peripheral and central mechanisms of odor processing.
  • Highlight recent advancements over the last 10-15 years.

Main Methods:

  • Review of neuroscience literature on human olfaction.
  • Analysis of peripheral and central processing mechanisms.
  • Synthesis of findings related to odor-guided behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Olfactory system processes odor information in sophisticated ways.
  • Mechanisms involve processing, packaging, parceling, and prediction of odors.
  • Odor information is crucial for guiding behaviors.

Conclusions:

  • Human olfaction plays a significant role in sensory experience.
  • Understanding olfactory processing is key to appreciating its capabilities.
  • Future research directions are proposed for olfactory neuroscience.