Physiology: smell Flashcards

1
Q

Overview of smell

A
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2
Q

SIGNAL
What is the name of the signal?

A

Odorants

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3
Q

SIGNAL
What 2 aspects of the nose help odorants come into contact with olfactory cells?

A

Turbinates: help create turbulent flow –> odorants more likely to bump into olfactory cells

The nose is highly vascularised - warms incoming air, increasing speed of odorant particles

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4
Q

PERIPHERAL RECEPTORS
What is the name of the receptors?

A

Olfactory cells

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5
Q

PERIPHERAL RECEPTORS
Olfactory epithelium
- What are the 3 cell types of the olfactory epithelium?

A

Olfactory cells (neurons)
Supporting cells (pseudostratified columnar epithelium)
Basal cells (stem cells)

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6
Q

PERIPHERAL RECEPTORS
Olfactory epithelium
- Can basal cells renew both olfactory cells and supporting cells?
- What is unique about this?

A

Yes
Means olfactory cells are one of the few neuronal populations which are capable of regenerating

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7
Q

PERIPHERAL RECEPTORS
Olfactory epithelium
- Where is the olfactory epithelium found?

A
  • Lining the nose
  • Lining the mouth (surface of hard palate, pharynx)
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8
Q

PERIPHERAL RECEPTORS
Olfactory cells
- Are they first order neurons?
- Structurally, what class of neurons are they?

A

Yes
Bipolar neurons

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9
Q

PERIPHERAL RECEPTORS
Olfactory cells: apical pole
- What structures enable them to interact with odorants?

A

Dendrites reach towards surface of olfactory epithelium
At the surface, has olfactory cilia - which have olfactory receptor proteins on them, which bind to odorants

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10
Q

PERIHPERAL RECEPTORS
Olfactory cells: basal pole
- Describe the unique grouping of axons
- Describe how the axons reach the olfactory bulb

A

Axons expressing the same odorant receptor protein cluster in bundles
Axon bundles pierce the cribiform plate of the ethmoid bone, to synapse in the glomeruli of the olfactory bulb

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11
Q

PERIPHERAL RECEPTORS
Olfactory receptor proteins
- Where are they found?
- What class of receptors are there?
- Are there more olfactory receptor protein genes than there are proteins expressed? Why?

A

On olfactory cilia, of olfactory cells
GPCRs
Yes (1000 vs 350) - may indicate that our sense of smell has become less important over evolutionary history

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12
Q

PERIPHERAL RECEPTORS
Olfactory receptor proteins
- What part of olfactory receptor proteins do odorants bind to?
- Do only certain families of odorants bind here?
- What allows us to perceive the unique smell of each odorant?

A

Odorant binding pockets
Yes
The activation of unique combinations of olfactory receptor proteins

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13
Q

PERIPHERAL RECEPTORS
Signal transduction
- Describe the signal transduction pathway
- If components of this pathwy are not functional, can animals become anosmic?

A

Yes

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14
Q

AFFERENT PATHWAYS
The olfactory bulb
- Are different classes of odorants coded in the olfactory bulb (atleast, in animal studies)? Why?

A

Yes
As each neuron expressing a particular receptor will project its axons to a specific glomerulus within the olfactory bulb

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15
Q

AFFERENT PATHWAYS
What are the names of the 2 second order neurons?

A

Mitral cells
Tufted cells

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16
Q

AFFERENT PATHWAYS
Mitral cells
- Where are their dendrites located?
- What structure do their axons form?
- Where does this structure project to?

A

In the glomeruli of the olfactory bulb
Olfactory tract (CN I)
The primary olfactory cortex

17
Q

CENTRAL PROCESSING
What is the primary cortex called?
What is another name for it?
Where is it locatd?

A

Primary olfactory cortex, aka the piriform cortex
Between the frontal and temporal lobes

18
Q

CENTRAL PROCESSING
- Describe the pathways olfactory information can go from the primary olfactory cortex

  • Why is smell strongly associated with long term memory?
A

As smell is often processed in the hippocampus

19
Q

DISRUPTION
Names for
- Lack of odor detection?
- Reduced odor detection?
- Distorded odor detection?

Can it have a strong impact on QoL (eg. anxiety and depression)?

When can it be life threatening?

A

Anosmia, hyposmia, dysosmia

Yes

When unable to detect harmful smells - smoke, gas, toxic chemicals

20
Q

DISRUPTION
Describe the effect of smell on taste, with an example

A

When olfaction is impaired, taste is impacted. (Eg. block nose, can’t tell the difference between milk and dark chocolate)

Thus, most disorders of taste are actually olfactory in origin

21
Q

DISRUPTION
Describe the effect of smell on taste, with an example

A

When olfaction is impaired, taste is impacted. (Eg. block nose, can’t tell the difference between milk and dark chocolate)

Thus, most disorders of taste are actually olfactory in origin