Olfaction: Sense of Smell

Anatomy of Olfactory Receptors

*It is estimated that humans can recognize about 10,000 different odours

(odours). To make this possible, the nose contains 10 million to 100 million

receptors for the sense of smell or olfaction (o¯l-FAKshun; olfact - smell),

contained within a region called the olfactory epithelium .

A total area of 5 cm 2 (a little less than 1 in . 2

, the olfactory epithelium(o ¯l -

FAK-to¯-re¯) occupies the superior part of the nasal cavity, covering the inferior

surface of the cribriform plate and extending along the superior nasal concha.

*The olfactory epithelium consists of three kinds of cells : olfactory

receptor cells, supporting cells, and basal cells .

Chemicals that have an odor that bind to and stimulate the olfactory receptors

in the olfactory cilia are called odourants. Olfactory receptor cells respond

to the chemical stimulation of an odo urant molecule by producing a generator

potential, thus initiating the olfactory response.

*Supporting cells are columnar epithelial cells of the mucous membrane

lining the nose.

*Basal cells are stem cells located between the bases of the supporting cells.

They continually undergo cell division to produce new olfactory receptor

cells, which live for only a month or so before being replaced.

Olfaction Page 1
*Physiology of Olfaction

 Genetic evidence now suggests the existence of hundreds of primary

odours. Our ability to recognize about 10,000 different odours probably

depends on patterns of activity in the brain that arise from activation

of many different combinations of olfactory receptor cells.

 Olfactory receptor cells react to odorant molecules in the same way

that most sensory receptors react to their specific stimuli.

 A generator potential (depolari sation) develops and triggers one or

more nerve impulses. This process, called olfactory transduction ,

occurs in the following way.

 Binding of an odorant to an olfactory receptor protein in an olfactory

cilium stimulates a membrane protein called a G protein.

 The G protein, in turn, activates the enzyme adenylate cyclase to

produce a substance called cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cA MP).

The cAMP opens a sodium ion (Na + ) channel that allows Na + to

enter the cytosol, which causes a depolarizing generator potential to

form in the membrane of the olfactory receptor cell. If the

depolarization reaches threshold, an action potential is gen erated along

the axon of the olfactory receptor cell.

Olfaction Page 2
*Odour Thresholds and Adaptation

 Olfaction, like all the special senses, has a low threshold. Only a few

molecules of certain substances need to be present in air to be

perceived as an odor.

 A good example is the chemical methyl mercaptan, which smells like

rotten cabbage and can be detected in concentrations as low as 1/25

billionth of a milligram per milliliter of air.

 The natural gas used for cooking and heating is odorless but lethal and

potentially explosive if it accumulates, a small amount of methyl

mercaptan is added to natural gas to provide olfactory warning of gas

leaks.

*Adaptation (decreasing sensitivity) to odo urs .

 Olfactory receptors adapt by about 50% in the first second or so after

stimulation but adapt very slowly thereafter.

 Complete insensitivity to certain strong odors occurs about a minute

after exposure. Apparently, reduced sensitivity involves an adaptation

process in the central nervous system as well.

Olfaction Page 3