Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 12, 2025

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity
12:02

High-throughput Analysis of Mammalian Olfactory Receptors: Measurement of Receptor Activation via Luciferase Activity

Published on: June 2, 2014

12.6K

Targeting highly expressed olfactory receptors to improve olfactory testing and training

H Benkhatar1, J Topin2, I Parrot3

  • 1Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, Service d’ORL et chirurgie cervico-faciale, Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, France.

Rhinology
|August 8, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Understanding olfactory loss requires knowing which smell receptors standard tests engage. This study investigates the precise human olfactory receptors activated by common odorants used in smell tests and training, aiming to improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Science
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Olfactory testing and training are crucial for managing olfactory dysfunction.
  • Current understanding of which specific olfactory receptors are activated by standard tests is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the precise repertoire of human olfactory receptors engaged by standard odorants.
  • To enhance the understanding of olfactory detection thresholds, identification tests, and training methods.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of standard odorants used in olfactory testing.
  • Review of existing literature on olfactory receptor engagement.

Main Results:

  • The specific olfactory receptors activated by common olfactory tests are not well-documented.
  • This knowledge gap limits the efficacy of current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Conclusions:

  • Further research is needed to precisely map olfactory receptor activation during standard testing.
  • A deeper understanding will improve the development and application of olfactory tests and training programs.

More Related Videos

Simple and Computer-assisted Olfactory Testing for Mice06:40

Simple and Computer-assisted Olfactory Testing for Mice

Published on: June 15, 2015

10.2K
Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay09:11

Live-cell Measurement of Odorant Receptor Activation Using a Real-time cAMP Assay

Published on: October 2, 2017

9.1K

Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

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...
45.2K
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

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...
9.6K
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

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...
9.5K