PHYSIOLOGY OF THE SMELL

Retty Ratnawati, M.R. Indra, Endang Sriwhyuni Lab. Physiology Faculty of Medicine, Brawijaya University 2009

Olfaction
Associated with selection of food Social behavior Prey seeking Avoiding predators predator odors trigger freezing or flight responses in mice. Reproduction (pheromones) odors from potential mates (conspecifics) elicit innate sexual responses in many animals. Fear, excitement

Summary - Olfaction
Mammalian olfactory receptors are all G-protein coupled receptors. Odorant receptor genes vary by species: mice 900, humans 350. Species vary in the density of olfactory receptors/cm2: dogs 100X that of humans Odors are detected by olfactory chemoreceptor cells in the olfactory mucosa. A few dozen mammalian odorant receptors have known ligands.

Summary - Olfaction
Olfactory chemoreceptor cells project to the olfactory bulb where they synapse in olfactory glomeruli on dendrites of mitral and tufted cells. Local inhibitory circuits are formed by granule cells and periglomerular cells (interneurons). Mitral and tufted cells project to the olfactory tract.

Primary Odors (human)

Floral Etheric Musky Sweaty Rotten Stinging acid Camphoraceous alpha - ionone 1,2, dichloroethane ring ketones butyric acid H2S formic, acetic acid camphor

Pure chemicals are rare in nature; real odors are mixtures of volatiles, but odor perception is not always dominated by the most abundant organic molecule in a mixture.

Olfactory Receptors
Primary receptor cells Odorants must be volatile(mudah menguap) to reach nose Must be water-soluble to penetrate mucus Must be lipid-soluble to bind to receptors 10 million olfactory neurons, but each neuron expresses only one odorant receptor gene

Receptors
Low threshold - e.g., butyl mercaptan (substance in natural gas-rotten, garlic smell) can be detected at 10-10 molecules/liter of air or 8 molecules per olfactory cell, per sniff, at threshold. However, rapid adaptation (peripheral and central) - 50% in first second after stimulation, then sustained.
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(mitral cell)

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Olfactory bulb

Periglomerular cell

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Secondary Olfactory System

Some species (e.g. rodents) have a vomeronasal organ with a set of receptor proteins that differ from olfactory receptor proteins Thought to be the major site for detection of pheromones

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Central Pathways
Olfactory cells Olfactory bulb Olfactory tract (mitral cell axons)
Olfactory cortex (bypassing thalamus) Olfactory tubercle to thalamus to frontal cortex (perception) Medial and lateral olfactory areas Limbic system, hypothalamus, brain stem nuclei
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Pheromones
Accessory olfactory system in animals for detection of behaviorally meaningful odors, primarily for reproduction Vomeronasal organ in mammals (antennae in insects) Receptors project to accessory olfactory bulb, then to hypothalamus
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Do humans respond to pheromones?

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