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

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...

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

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

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

Same author

Leveraging Multi-Echo EPI to Enhance BOLD Sensitivity in Task-based Olfactory fMRI.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024

Same journal

Multi-brain neurofeedback: what are we training for?

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026

Same journal

The developing vocal self.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026

Same journal

Searching beyond decrements: Attentional guidance across the adult lifespan.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026

Same journal

Looking into working memory through micro eye movements.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026

Same journal

Timescapes of non-human experience.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026

Same journal

Building word meanings from memories and predictions.

Trends in cognitive sciences·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 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

Predictive coding in the human olfactory system.

Sam H Lyons¹, Jay A Gottfried²

¹Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences

|May 9, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The human olfactory system actively predicts incoming scents, deviating from traditional sensory processing models. This predictive coding theory unifies diverse olfactory phenomena by viewing the brain as anticipating sensory input.

Keywords:

Bayesian inference cognitive map olfaction perception predictive coding sniffing

More Related Videos

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

Published on: June 29, 2017

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

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

Published on: April 11, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 12, 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

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

New Methods to Study Gustatory Coding

Published on: June 29, 2017

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

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

Published on: April 11, 2025

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience
Sensory Systems

Background:

The human olfactory system exhibits unique structural and functional properties compared to other sensory cortices.
Many fundamental computations within the olfactory system remain poorly understood.
Existing theories struggle to provide a comprehensive framework for olfactory processing.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose a novel theoretical framework for understanding the human olfactory system.
To unify diverse olfactory phenomena under a single explanatory model.
To investigate the role of predictive coding in olfactory perception.

Main Methods:

Development of a predictive coding theory for olfaction.
Mapping the theoretical framework onto the neurobiology of the olfactory system (micro- and macroscale).
Review of existing neurobiological, computational, and behavioral evidence.

Main Results:

The olfactory system operates not just by passive reception but by active prediction of sensory inputs.
The proposed predictive coding framework offers a unified explanation for various olfactory phenomena.
Evidence from multiple domains supports the active, predictive nature of olfactory processing.

Conclusions:

The human olfactory system functions as an active predictive system, not a passive one.
Predictive coding provides a unifying theory for understanding the complexities of olfactory neuroscience.
This framework has implications for future research into sensory processing and computational models of the brain.