Smell (1) Flashcards
What is olfactory epithelium?
The organ of smell is a yellow-tinged patch of pseudostratified epithelium, located in the roof of the nasal cavity
What do olfactory receptor (sensory) cells look like?
Bowling pin-shaped receptor cells (millions)
What are supporting cells?
Columnar cell that surrounds and cushions olfactory receptor cells and make up the bulk of the penny-thin epithelial membrane, they give the olfactory cells its yellow hue
What are the basal cells called?
Olfactory stem cells (will eventually become olfactory sensory neuron cells)
What do olfactory glands do?
Produce a thin layer of mucus in the underlying connective tissue
How do we smell different smells?
Each receptor responds to one or more odorant and each odorant binds to several different receptor types
However each receptor cell has only one type of receptor protein
Solution for smell:
Air
What does volatile mean?
Dissolved in the air
Must be a gaseous state as it enters the nasal cavity
How does smell come in contact with mucous?
A volatile smell that must dissolve in the fluid coating the olfactory epithelium
Transduction of odorants uses…
a receptor linked to a G protein
Transduction G protein steps
1) Odorant binds to its receptor
2) Receptor activates G protein
3) G protein activates an enzyme
4) Opens cation channel (Na and Calcium)
5) causes it to depolarize and causes an action potential
What is glomeruli?
Where mitral cells and olfactory cells synapse
What order do the impulses go? (pathway)
1) Olfactory cortex
2) Frontal cortex
3) Hypothalamus and amygdala
