In: Biology
Describe the anatomical structures and physiological mechanism associated with olfactory perception and response to a chemical cue.
Describe the anatomical structures and physiological mechanism associated with olfactory perception and response to a chemical cue.
Answer: The olfactory system is responsible for our sense of smell. The system consists of the nose and the nasal cavities, which in their upper parts support the olfactory mucus membrane for the perception of smelland in their lower parts act as respiratory passages.
Olfaction starts when molecules enter into the nasal cavity and activate receptors in the olfactory epithelium (OE). The olfactory receptor (OR) proteins are located in hair‐like projections of the olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). When airborne molecules are inhaled through the nose, they pass over the olfactory epithelium and dissolve into the mucus. The odorant molecules bind to proteins that keep them dissolved in the mucus and help transport them to the olfactory dendrites. The odorant-protein complex binds to a receptor protein on the membrane of the olfactory cell. The olfactory odorant receptors are G-protein coupled receptors that will cause a transient depolarization in membrane potential that will lead to an action potential.