Olfaction Flashcards
olfaction deals with sensing _____
chemical energy
biological functions of olfaction
survival, communication
explain the function of survival
finding food, food selection -> olfaction can provide information about nutritional benefits, navigation, predator avoidance
explain the function for communication
- Recognition of members/non-members of a social group -> Via the vomeronasal system.
- Mother/infant bond (attachment)
- identification of territory
- Mating/reproduction
what is the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) lined by?
mucus and odorant binding proteins
What is the role of mucus in the olfactory epithelium?
It functions in protection and holding odorants close to receptors.
where is mucus produced?
by bowmans glands and is located under the basal lamina of the membrane
Where do odorant binding proteins reside, and what is their function?
reside within the mucus. Their function is to bind odorants.
Where do Olfactory Receptor Neurons (ORNs) reside?
in the olfactory epithelium
Describe the structure of olfactory fila and their projection.
~20 axons bundle up to form each olfactory fila. They project through the cribriform plate and make their way to the olfactory bulb.
What distinguishes olfactory axons in terms of thickness and myelination?
are among the thinnest in our brain, and they are unmyelinated, conducting very slowly.
Approximately how many odorants can we distinguish?
approximately 5000 odorants.
Where is the Main Olfactory Epithelium (MOE) located?
at the top of the nasal cavity.
Why do we sniff, and what is its connection to the MOE?
Sniffing directs air to the top of the nasal cavity, where the MOE is located.
stimualtion of the olfactory nerves result in
smell
stimulation of the trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V) tells us
there is something dangerous/irritating in the environment
label this diagram:
a: receptor cell axons
b: basal cell
c: dividing stem cell
d: developing receptor cell
e: olfactory knob
f: olfactory cilia
g: odorants
h: mucus
i: supporting cell
j: mature receptor cell
k: bowmans gland
l: cribriform plate
most neurons are not able to regenerate, can olfactory neurons?
yes, regen monthly. this is due to being exposed to the environment
T/F: regeneration may be impaired after COVID
true, leads to olfactory deficits
odorant perception is more emphasized in other mammals due to
the variation in the types and numbers of ORNs different species have
dogs and olfaction
can have up to a billion ORNs, which line the whole nasal passage to increase sensitivity. Also have a larger olfactory bulb than humans.
odorant perception depends greatly on what?
the concentration of the odorant
what can concentration of an odorant affect?
whether an odorant is detected or not and also how we perceive it
enantiomers can also produce….
different perceptions of odorants
where are receptor potentials generated in receptor neurons?
in the cilia of receptor neurons
Why is the patch clamp experiment crucial in olfactory research?
provides a quantitative response, allowing observation of the strength of the conductance. Without patch clamping, only a spike without quantitative attributes would be observed.
How does mucus contribute to olfactory perception?
bathes cilia, contains odorants and odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), enabling humans to detect and perceive odors even at small concentrations, down to a few parts per billion.
olfactory receptors are _____, with a G-protein alpha subunit called _____
GPCRs, Golf
what happens upon G-protein activation?
the alpha subunit Golf dissociates and activates adenylyl cyclase, which catalyzes the conversion of ATP to cAMP.
what does heightened concentration of cAMP do?
activates a cAMP-gated Na+/Ca+ ion channel (a CNG channel), allowing Ca2+ and Na+ to flow into the cell.
what does Ca2+ activate?
a Ca2+-gated Cl- channel, resulting in an efflux of Cl- (calcium-activated Cl- current).
what is the reverse potential for chloride in normal neurons?
around -80
what is the reversal potential for ORNs?
closer to 0 mV so Cl- efflux causes depolarization
what is this current inhibited by?
NFA
the Ca2+ gated channel in ORN cillia is …
ANO2
what else does Ca2+ activate?
a Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, which inputs 3-4 Na+s for every output of 1 Ca2+
what is depolarization of ORNs mediated by?
1) cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNG), 2) Cl- efflux, and 3) the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger.
what does NKCC1 transport?
transports Na+, K+, and 2Cl- into the cell.
NKCC1 is much more _____ in ORNs, which results in its high intracellular Cl- concentration at _____
abundant, resting potential
this results in ____ and ______ being excitatory, as opening ___ and ____ channels Cl- moves out of the cell
GABA, glycine