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Related Concept Videos

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

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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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Olfaction01:25

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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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Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

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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 Olfactory System as a Model to Study Axonal Growth Patterns and Morphology In Vivo
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Visualizing the human olfactory projection and ancillary structures in a 3D reconstruction.

Victoria F Low1, Chinchien Lin2, Shan Su2

  • 1Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Communications Biology
|November 8, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Researchers created a 3D model of the human olfactory system using advanced imaging and AI. This detailed visualization reveals approximately 2.7 million olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), aiding comparative studies with other species.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Anatomy
  • Histology

Background:

  • Understanding the human olfactory system's microanatomy is complex due to the large number of tissue sections required.
  • Previous methods lacked comprehensive 3D visualization capabilities for detailed olfactory pathway analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a workflow for 3D reconstruction and visualization of the human olfactory projection.
  • To quantify olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and compare human olfactory organization with other species.

Main Methods:

  • A 7.45 cm³ human olfactory specimen was sectioned (10 µm), stained with quadruple fluorescence, and scanned.
  • Convolutional neural networks were trained for automatic segmentation of six key structures.
  • A high-performance computing solution was used for section registration and 3D model assembly.

Main Results:

  • A detailed 3D reconstruction of the human olfactory projection was successfully generated.
  • The study estimated approximately 2.7 million olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the specimen.
  • The 3D visualization provides novel interactive and virtual exploration tools.

Conclusions:

  • The developed workflow enables detailed 3D visualization of human olfactory microanatomy.
  • Empirical data on OSN count provides a basis for comparing human olfactory organization with that of mice.
  • This research offers significant didactic potential for olfactory system education.