Scent-tracking in Humans

In course

Description

This lecture explores the mechanisms of scent-tracking in humans, discussing topics such as inter-nastril comparison, the debate about smelling orientation, genetic studies on olfactory genes, and the ability of humans to scent-track. It also covers the relationship between sniffing behavior and scent-tracking, the exploitation of information from both nostrils, and the implications of a study on human olfaction. The presentation concludes with further research directions and a comparison of the olfactory system with vision and hearing.

Instructor

Official source

https://mediaspace.epfl.ch/media/0_y07eukuc

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Related concepts (16)

Olfactory system

The olfactory system, or sense of smell, is the sensory system used for smelling (olfaction). Olfaction is one of the special senses, that have directly associated specific organs. Most mammals and reptiles have a main olfactory system and an accessory olfactory system. The main olfactory system detects airborne substances, while the accessory system senses fluid-phase stimuli. The senses of smell and taste (gustatory system) are often referred to together as the chemosensory system, because they both give the brain information about the chemical composition of objects through a process called transduction.

Olfactory bulb

The olfactory bulb (Latin: bulbus olfactorius) is a neural structure of the vertebrate forebrain involved in olfaction, the sense of smell. It sends olfactory information to be further processed in the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the hippocampus where it plays a role in emotion, memory and learning. The bulb is divided into two distinct structures: the main olfactory bulb and the accessory olfactory bulb.

Olfactory nerve

The olfactory nerve, also known as the first cranial nerve, cranial nerve I, or simply CN I, is a cranial nerve that contains sensory nerve fibers relating to the sense of smell. The afferent nerve fibers of the olfactory receptor neurons transmit nerve impulses about odors to the central nervous system (olfaction). Derived from the embryonic nasal placode, the olfactory nerve is somewhat unusual among cranial nerves because it is capable of some regeneration if damaged.

Olfactory epithelium

The olfactory epithelium is a specialized epithelial tissue inside the nasal cavity that is involved in smell. In humans, it measures and lies on the roof of the nasal cavity about above and behind the nostrils. The olfactory epithelium is the part of the olfactory system directly responsible for detecting odors. Olfactory epithelium consists of four distinct cell types: Olfactory sensory neurons Supporting cells Basal cells Brush cells Olfactory receptor neuron The olfactory receptor neurons are sensory neurons of the olfactory epithelium.

Olfactory receptor neuron

An olfactory receptor neuron (ORN), also called an olfactory sensory neuron (OSN), is a sensory neuron within the olfactory system. Humans have between 10 and 20 million olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). In vertebrates, ORNs are bipolar neurons with dendrites facing the external surface of the cribriform plate with axons that pass through the cribriform foramina with terminal end at olfactory bulbs. The ORNs are located in the olfactory epithelium in the nasal cavity.