Chemical Senses 2 (Olfaction) Flashcards
G-protein linked 7 transmembrane proteins
Olfactory receptor proteins
Are GPCRs and expressed in the olfactory epithelium
Odorant receptors
Communicates with the accessory olfactory bulb
Vomeronasal organ
What are the three types of cells in the olfactory epithelium
- olfactory receptor cells
- supporting cells
- basal cells
Each one of these receives input from broad area of olfactory epithelium
Glomerulus
Odors produce this in the olfactory bulb
They produce region specific neural activity
Olfactory epithelium cells that are neurons (unlike taste receptors) with a 4-8 week life cycle
Olfactory receptor cells
There are about 400 of these and 200 of these
400 olfactory receptor cells and 200 glomeruli
Animals use accessary olfactory system, vomeronasal organ to accessary olfactory bulb to hypothalamus to detect these
Pheromones
Olfactory epithelium cells that produce more olfactory receptor cells (like stem cells)
basal cells
Connect to correct before the thalamus, this is different than for other systems
Olfactory tracts
These exhibit population coding, receptors broadly tuned, amount of odorant influences response (each one responds to multiple odorants)
Olfactory receptor proteins
Humans may detect these using main olfactory epithelium using trace amine associated receptors (TAARs)
Pheromones
There are many of these (1200-1400) with 2/3 functional in rats and half function in humans
Olfactory receptor genes
Olfactory receptors have 7 of these regions
Transmembrane regions
Expresses its own receptors (300 in mice, 5 in humans), different from nasal odorant receptor proteins
Vomeronasal organ
Communicates with the main olfactory bulb to detect odorants
Olfactory epithelium
Opening of CNG channels allows these to enter the cell
Ca and Na
Receptor genes are expressed in this way in the brain
Spread out in zones. Different genes expressed in different zones
Higher brain areas connect to these to help modify info and maybe focus on most important info
Olfactory bulbs
Each cell expresses only one of these, also expressed on axons and may help guidance
Olfactory receptor genes
Contain one dendrite and an unmyelinated axon
Olfactory receptor neuron
These are spread out in zones but not clustered within a zone (they all don’t need to be next to each other)
Olfactory receptor proteins
Second order olfactory neurons in each glomerulus
Mitral cells