ORDOR
chemical stimulus => smell sensation
odorant
- molecule defined by physiochemical characteristics
- translated into nervous system => perception of smell
To be smelled, ordorants must be:
- violate (able to float the air)
- small
- hydrophobic
human olfactory apparatus
- primarly purpose => to filter, warm, and humidity air we breathe
- small ridges, olfactory cleft, and olfactory epithelium
human olfactory apparatus
olfactory cleft
- narrow space at back of nose where air flows
- where main olfactory epithelium is
human olfactory apparatus
olfactory epithelium
- secretory mucous membrane
- detects odorants in inhaled air
3 types of cells in Olfactory epithelium
- supporting cells
- basal cells
- olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs)
Olfactory epithelium Cells
Supporting cells
- provides metabolic and physical support to OLF sensory neurons
Olfactory epithelium
Basal Cells
- cells before olfactory sensory neurons (precursor)
Olfactory epithelium
Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs)
- main cell type in OLF Epi
- small neurons under watery mucous layer in epith
Cillium / cilia
- hair-like protrusions on dentrites of OSNs
- receptor side for ordorant molecules
- first structures with olfactory signal transduction
olfactory receptor (OR)
- region on cilia where odorant molecules bind
- 7-8 odor molecules bind to receptor => start action potential
- 40 nerve impulses = reported smell
olfactory graph?
slide 19
cribriform plate
- boney structure with holes // @ level of eyebrows // separates nose from brain
- where axons from OSNs pass through (holes) => brain
anosmia
- can't smell from sinus illness or head trauma
- hard blow to front of head => crib form fractures => slice off olfactory neurons
- can cause lost of taste too
olfactory nerves
- first pair of cranial nerves
- axons bundle together
after passing cribiform
- forms olfactory nerve
olfactory bulb
- small, round extension of brain
- where olfactory information is first processed
- 2 olfactory
bulbs => one in each brain hemisphere
- connections are ipsilateral (same side)
glomeruli
- spherical conglomerates with incoming axons of OSNs
- 1 OSN => 2 glomeruli (1 medial, 1 lateral)
- activity patterns => what type of order
- Surrounded
by layers of cells
- juxtaglomerular neurons, tufted cells, mitral cells, granule cells
juxtaglomerular neurons
- first layer cells surrounding the glomeruli
- mix of excitatory + inhibitory cells (responds to order)
tufted cells
- after juxt neuron layers
- respond to fewer odorants
than juxt
- more than deepest layer of cells
mitral cells
- deppest layer of neurons in OLF bulb
- respond to few specific odorants
granule cells
- deepest layer of neurons
- extensive network of
inhibitory neurons
- takes input from other layers + basis of identifying ordors
primary olfactory cortext
- neural area where olfactory information is first processed
- amygdala, parahippocampus gyrus, interconnected areas, and entorhinal cortex
Entorhinal cortext
- a phylogenetically old cortical region that provides major sensory input from hippocampus
- receives direct projections from olfactory regions
Limbic system
- group of neural structures
- olfactory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, piriform cortex, entorhinal cortex
- emotion + memory
- olfaction = direct and intimate
connection to system
- strong emotion associations
Pseudogens
- humans has 60%-70%
- different % for every person
- evolutionary trade-off between vision + olfaction
The feel of scent and nerves
- odorants can stimulate somatosensory system (polymodial
nocieceptors)
- touch, pain, temperature receptors
- sensations mediated by trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve 5)
- WIP
Theories of olfactory perception
Shape-pattern theory
- dominant theory of how chemicals are perceived as specific orders
- different function of scents => different odorant
shape => activate different olfactory receptors
- in olfactory epithelium
- specific firing patterns of neurons
Theories of olfactory perception
Vibration theory
- every perceived smell = different vibrational frequency
- same vibrational frequency = same smell
Specific anosmia
- inability to smell one specific compound but have normal smell
perception
- 20-40& people with androstenone anosmia (armpit sweat+pigs)
- smells "sweet-musky-floral" scent
- sensitivity can be increased w/ training
Stereoisomes
- mirror-image rotations of molecules
- same atoms => different smells
- D-Carvone (cloves) => L carvone (mint)
Odors and Patterns
- we can detect the patterni of activity across receptors
-
intentist of odorant => changes rwaht reptors are
activqated
- weak smells = not same as strong smells
- Specific time order of activation of OR receptors
odor mixtures
- we smell mixtures NOT pure odorants
odor mixtures
Analysis
- auditory mixtures example
- high notes + low note played together = can each individual note
odor mixtures
synthesis
- color mixtures example
- mixing red and green => yellow result but can't see green or red anymore
- Most of olfaction
Binary rivarly
- competition between the two nostrils for ordor perceptions
- one scent at a time, not a combination of 2 scents
olfactory white
- the olfactory equivalent of "white nose" or the color white
- at least 30 odorants of equal intensity (can not tell one mixture from another)
Durability
- recognition of smells is durable even after several days, months, or years
staircase method
- method for determining the concentration of a stimulus required
for detection at a threshold level
- stim. presented in increasing concentrations until detected
triangle test
- participant given 3 odors to smell (2 same, 1 differnt)
- order of 3 varies and tested several times => increase accuracy
tip-of-the-nose phenomemon
- the inability to name an odorant even of VERY similar
receptor adaptation
- biochemical phenomenon after continuous exposure to an odorant
- receptors stop responding to the odorant + detection decreases
cross adaptation
- reduction in detection after an odorant
- following exposure to another odorant
- b/c share one or more olfactory receptors for transduction
cognitive habituation
- the psychological process where after long-term exposure to an
odorant => no longer able to detect odorant / diminished
detection ability
- going out of town + noticing how your house smells
Three mechanisms of olfactory
- olfactory receptors internalized in cell bodies => hinder after continuous exposure (take longer to recycle)
- OD molecules may bye absorbed into bloodstream => cause adaptation to continue
- cognitive emotional factors
attention and conscious perception
- we cannot smell when we are asleep
- attention increases our ability to detect odors
- attention is cut off during sleep + attention to respond to odors
odor hedonics
- odor perception measured with scales to odorant pleasantness, familiarity, and intensity
taste aversion
avoidance of a novel flavor after it has been paired with gastric illness (stomach ache)
chemosignal
- any chemicals emitted by humans that are detected by olfactory system and has same effects on mood, behavior, hormonal status, and/or sexual arousal of other humans
McClintock effect
- 1 woman on period => triggers other women around her to start theirs
primer pheromone
- triggers a physiological (hormonal) change among conspecifics
- prolonged pheromone exposure
releaser pherome
- triggers an immediate behavioral respond among conspecifics
Pheromone
- chemical emitted by one member of a species that triggers a
physiological or behavioral response in another member of the same
species
- chemical communication (does not need to have smell)
Other parts of the nose // sub-division of olfactory system
- vomeronasal organ (VNO)
- at base of nasal cavity, detects large and/or aqueous molecules // chem. sensing organ
- accessory olfactory bulb (AOB)
- behind MOB // receives input from vomeronasal organ
- Main olfactory bulb (MOB)
- olfactory bulb //
orbitofrontal cortex
- olfaction is processed here
- cortical area for assigning affective value (hedonic judgement)
- help explain increased emotionality of smells