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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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 25, 2026

Odorant-induced Responses Recorded from Olfactory Receptor Neurons using the Suction Pipette Technique

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Evoked olfactory responses in neonatal rats.

Perceptual and Motor Skills

|December 1, 1985

Summary

Rat pups show physiological responses to odors from birth. Even on day one, their olfactory bulbs generate significant electrical activity when exposed to various smells.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Olfactory System Research
Developmental Biology

Background:

Behavioral studies indicate rat pups react to odors.
The underlying physiological mechanisms of this olfactory response remain largely unknown.
Previous neurophysiological data suggested limited olfactory bulb activity in early life.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neurophysiological basis of olfactory responses in neonatal rat pups.
To determine if olfactory bulb electrical activity can be detected in response to odor stimuli in very young rat pups.

Main Methods:

Presented eight distinct odors to 44 anesthetized rat pups aged 0-20 days.
Recorded electrical activity from the olfactory bulb.
Analyzed evoked potentials and spontaneous electrical activity.

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Main Results:

Detected synchronized waveforms (evoked potentials) in the olfactory bulb in response to odor stimuli.
These evoked potentials were 2-4 times the amplitude of background activity.
Significant olfactory bulb responses were observed even on the first day of life, despite minimal spontaneous activity.

Conclusions:

Neonatal rat pups exhibit measurable neurophysiological responses to odors shortly after birth.
The olfactory system is functional and responsive to olfactory stimuli from the earliest stages of development.
Findings challenge previous assumptions about limited early-life olfactory processing in rats.