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A spectroscopic mechanism for primary olfactory reception

¹Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK.

Chemical Senses

|December 1, 1996

Summary

Olfactory receptors detect odorant molecules by their vibrations, not shape. This novel theory explains how molecular vibrations are biologically transduced via inelastic electron tunneling, suggesting olfaction is a spectral sense.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Biophysics
Chemistry

Background:

Olfactory reception theories traditionally focus on molecular shape.
Previous vibrational theories lacked a detailed biological transduction mechanism.

Purpose of the Study:

To propose a novel theory of olfactory reception based on molecular vibrations.
To provide a plausible mechanism for biological transduction of these vibrations.

Main Methods:

Identifying elements of a tunneling spectroscope in olfactory receptors and G-proteins.
Calculating electron tunneling spectra for odorant molecules.
Correlating tunneling spectra with perceived odor.

Main Results:

Demonstrated correlations between molecular vibration spectra and odor.
Showcased that molecules with similar shapes but different vibrations have distinct smells.
Highlighted the differing odors of acetophenone and its deuterated analog (acetophenone-d8) as key evidence.

Conclusions:

Olfaction operates on molecular vibrations, not solely molecular shape.
Inelastic electron tunneling provides a mechanism for biological transduction of vibrations.
Olfaction is proposed to be a spectral sense, analogous to vision and hearing.

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