olfactory mucosa

Examples of olfactory mucosa in the following topics:

• Olfactory (I) Nerve

  • The olfactory nerve, or cranial nerve I, is the first of the 12 cranial nerves.
  • The specialized olfactory receptor neurons of the olfactory nerve are located in the olfactory mucosa of the upper parts of the nasal cavity.
  • The olfactory nerves consist of a collection of many sensory nerve fibers that extend from the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb, passing through the many openings of the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone.
  • Olfactory receptor neurons continue to emerge throughout life and extend new axons to the olfactory bulb.
  • These interactions are transduced into electrical activity in the olfactory bulb, which then transmits the electrical activity to other parts of the olfactory system and the rest of the central nervous system via the olfactory tract.

• Olfaction: The Nasal Cavity and Smell

  • Olfactory sensitivity is directly proportional to spatial area in the nose—specifically the olfactory epithelium, which is where odorant reception occurs.
  • The area in the nasal cavity near the septum is reserved for the olfactory mucous membrane, where olfactory receptor cells are located.
  • This area is a dime-sized region called the olfactory mucosa.
  • Olfactory transduction is a series of events in which odor molecules are detected by olfactory receptors.
  • The olfactory nerve connects the olfactory system to the central nervous system to allow processing of odor information.

• Reception and Transduction

  • Odorants (odor molecules) enter the nose and dissolve in the olfactory epithelium, the mucosa at the back of the nasal cavity .
  • 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.
  • 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.

• Taste and Smell at Birth and in Old Age

  • Studies demonstrate that the changes to the olfactory bulb and main olfactory system following birth are extremely important and influential for maternal behavior.
  • A diagram of the olfactory system is shown in .
  • Pregnancy and childbirth result in a high state of plasticity of the olfactory system that may facilitate olfactory learning within the mother.
  • Anosmia is due to an inflammation of the nasal mucosa, blockage of nasal passages, or a destruction of one temporal lobe.
  • Human olfactory system. 1: Olfactory bulb 2: Mitral cells 3: Bone 4: Nasal epithelium 5: Glomerulus (olfaction) 6: Olfactory receptor cells

• Mucosa

  • The mucosa is the innermost layer, and functions in absorption and secretion.
  • The mucosa is made up of three layers: epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis mucosae.
  • The mucosae (singular: mucosa) are highly specialized in each organ of the gastrointestinal tract, in order to deal with the different digestive tract conditions.
  • The most variation is seen in the epithelium tissue layer of the mucosa.
  • Describe the structure and function of the mucosa of the GI tract

• Overview of Sensation

  • The olfactory system is the sensory system used for the sense of smell (olfaction).
  • In humans, olfaction occurs when odorant molecules bind to specific sites on the olfactory receptors in the nasal cavity.
  • They come together at a structure (the glomerulus) that transmits signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain.
  • Touch or somatosensation (tactioception, tactition, or mechanoreception), is a perception resulting from the activation of neural receptors in the skin, including hair follicles, tongue, throat, and mucosa.

• Submucosa

  • From the inside out they are called: mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa .
  • The submucosa is relatively thick, highly vascular, and serves the mucosa.
  • The absorbed elements that pass through the mucosa are picked up from the blood vessels of the submucosa.
  • The submucosa lies under the mucosa and consists of fibrous connective tissue, separating the mucosa from the next layer, the muscularis externa.
  • Blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves (all supplying the mucosa) will run through here.

• Histology of the Small Intestine

  • The small intestine wall has four layers: the outermost serosa, muscularis, submucosa, and innermost mucosa.
  • The small intestine has four tissue layers: the serosa, muscularis, submucosa, and mucosa.
  • The submucosa is the layer of dense irregular connective tissue or loose connective tissue that supports the mucosa, as well as joins the mucosa to the bulk of underlying smooth muscle.
  • The intestinal villi are part of the mucosa.
  • Intestinal villi (singular: villus) are tiny, finger-like projections that protrude from the epithelial lining of the mucosa .

• Skin and Mucosae (Surface Barriers)

  • In mammals, the skin and mucosae constitute complex protective barriers that guard against infection and injury.
  • In humans, the outer covering of the body consists of the skin and mucosae, which together make up the barrier immune system.
  • The mucous membranes (or mucosae; singular mucosa) are linings of mostly endodermal origin, covered in various types of epithelium, that are involved in absorption and secretion.
  • The mucosae are highly specialized in each organ to deal with different conditions.
  • Describe how the skin and mucosae serve as a protective barrier which guards against infection and injury

• Epithelial Membranes

  • In some mucosa, the lamina propria rests on a deeper, third layer of smooth muscle.
  • The submucosa is the tissue that connects the mucosa to the muscle outside the tube.