olfactory

(adjective)

concerning the sense of smell

Related Terms

Examples of olfactory in the following topics:

  • Reception and Transduction

    • The olfactory epithelium is a collection of specialized olfactory receptors in the back of the nasal cavity that spans an area about 5 cm2 in humans.
    • An olfactory receptor, which is a dendrite of a specialized neuron, responds when it binds certain molecules inhaled from the environment by sending impulses directly to the olfactory bulb of the brain.
    • Olfactory neurons are bipolar neurons (neurons with two processes from the cell body).
    • Each olfactory sensory neuron has only one type of receptor on its cilia.
    • In the human olfactory system, (a) bipolar olfactory neurons extend from (b) the olfactory epithelium, where olfactory receptors are located, to the olfactory bulb.

  • Tastes and Odors

    • Humans have about 350 olfactory receptor subtypes that work in various combinations to allow us to sense about 10,000 different odors.
    • Compare that to mice, for example, which have about 1,300 olfactory receptor types and, therefore, probably sense many more odors.

  • Neurons

    • Examples include (a) a pyramidal cell from the cerebral cortex, (b) a Purkinje cell from the cerebellar cortex, and (c) olfactory cells from the olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb.

  • Genome Evolution

    • Often cited examples of pseudogenes within the human genome include the once functional olfactory gene families.
    • Over time, many olfactory genes in the human genome became pseudogenes and were no longer able to produce functional proteins, explaining the poor sense of smell humans possess in comparison to their mammalian relatives.

  • Sensory-Somatic Nervous System

    • For example, the olfactory nerve transmits information about smells from the nose to the brainstem.

  • Brain: Cerebral Cortex and Brain Lobes

    • This lobe contains the olfactory bulb, which processes smells.

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Mental Illnesses

    • They can include delusions, disordered thoughts and speech, and tactile, auditory, visual, olfactory and gustatory hallucinations, typically regarded as manifestations of psychosis.

  • Transduction and Perception

    • All sensory signals, except those from the olfactory system, are transmitted though the central nervous system: they are routed to the thalamus and to the appropriate region of the cortex.