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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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 14, 2026

Tactile Conditioning And Movement Analysis Of Antennal Sampling Strategies In Honey Bees Apis mellifera L.

Tactile Conditioning And Movement Analysis Of Antennal Sampling Strategies In Honey Bees Apis mellifera L.

Published on: December 12, 2012

Statistical olfactory learning in honey bees.

Claire Marcout^1,2,3, Chiara Santolin⁴, Martin Giurfa^1,2

¹Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Inserm, Neuro-SU, 75005 Paris, France.

|October 27, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Honey bees demonstrate statistical learning, a cognitive process previously observed mainly in vertebrates. This research shows insects can learn and remember patterns in smells, suggesting this ability is more widespread in the animal kingdom.

Keywords:

Entomology Neuroscience Zoology

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Last Updated: Jan 14, 2026

Tactile Conditioning And Movement Analysis Of Antennal Sampling Strategies In Honey Bees Apis mellifera L.

Tactile Conditioning And Movement Analysis Of Antennal Sampling Strategies In Honey Bees Apis mellifera L.

Published on: December 12, 2012

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Published on: July 21, 2014

Behavioural Pharmacology in Classical Conditioning of the Proboscis Extension Response in Honeybees Apis mellifera

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Published on: January 24, 2011

Area of Science:

Cognitive Science
Neuroscience
Animal Behavior

Background:

Statistical learning, the ability to detect regularities in sensory input, is crucial for prediction and decision-making.
This cognitive process has been well-documented in vertebrates but remains largely unexplored in invertebrates.
Understanding statistical learning in invertebrates could reveal fundamental aspects of conserved cognitive mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the capacity for statistical learning in invertebrates, specifically honey bees.
To determine if honey bees can learn and recall the temporal structure of olfactory stimuli.
To explore the evolutionary conservation of statistical learning abilities.

Main Methods:

Honey bees were exposed to olfactory stimuli with a specific temporal structure.
Behavioral responses were monitored to assess learning and memory of the stimulus patterns.
The study focused on the ability to extract statistical regularities from sensory input.

Main Results:

Honey bees successfully learned the temporal structure of the presented olfactory stimuli.
The findings indicate that honey bees can recall the learned statistical regularities.
This demonstrates statistical learning in an invertebrate model.

Conclusions:

Statistical learning is not exclusive to vertebrates and is present in invertebrates like honey bees.
This suggests that statistical learning is a fundamental and conserved cognitive ability across diverse species.
The findings expand our understanding of the cognitive toolkit present in simpler nervous systems.