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Related Concept Videos

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...

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...

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...

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex.

Synaptic Signaling

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...

Synaptic Signaling

Synaptic Signaling

Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.

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Related Experiment Videos

Synaptic mechanisms of olfactory recognition memory

H Kaba¹, S Nakanishi

¹Department of Physiology, Kochi Medical School, Japan.

Reviews in the Neurosciences

|April 1, 1995

Summary

Female mice form olfactory memories of male pheromones at mating. This memory involves specific synapses in the accessory olfactory bulb, modulated by noradrenaline and mGluR2 receptors, offering a model for synaptic plasticity.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Molecular Biology
Behavioral Science

Background:

The mammalian brain's complexity hinders memory trace localization and understanding memory formation processes.
Olfactory recognition memory in female mice exposed to male pheromones during mating serves as a simplified model system.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying olfactory memory formation.
To identify the specific neural circuits and synaptic processes involved in this memory.

Main Methods:

Localization of memory traces to reciprocal dendrodendritic synapses between mitral and granule cells in the accessory olfactory bulb.
Analysis of the role of noradrenaline in reducing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) inhibition.
Investigation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) activation in suppressing GABAergic inhibition.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

Olfactory memory formation is linked to the accessory olfactory bulb, specifically the mitral and granule cell synapses.
Noradrenaline release post-mating decreases GABAergic inhibition, facilitating pheromone memory.
Activation of mGluR2 receptors at granule cell dendrites suppresses GABA inhibition, enabling accurate olfactory memory formation.

Conclusions:

The identified synaptic circuit and molecular players provide a tractable model for studying learning and memory.
This model system allows for detailed investigation into the synaptic plasticity mechanisms underlying memory formation.