Smell and Taste Flashcards
Where is smell processed cortex wise?
amygdala, parahippacampal, uncus (piriform cortex)
important olfaction cells (4)
basal stem cells (grow other cells)
olfactory knob & cilia (turn over 30d, recept smells)
supporting cells
bowmans glands = make mucus
where does the first smell processing take place?
olfactory bulb – There are glomeruli of mitral cells
Tufted and Periglomerular Cells
Local circuit neuronswhich send dendritic processes to glomeruli; maysharpen sensitivity of individual glomeruli to specific odorants.
Granule cells
constitute innermost layer of olfactory
bulb and synapse on basal dendrites of mitral cells.
Establish local lateral inhibitory circuits
Is smell contralateral or ipsilateral?
Ipsilateral
Anosmia:
loss of smell
Hyposmia:
decreased sensitivity to odorants
Hyperosmia/Olfactory hyperesthesia
increased olfactory acuity
Cacosmia
formation of repugnant/disagreeable olfactory
auras
causes of anosmia / hyposmia
infetion, trauma, tumor, aging, toxins
olfactory deficits may be an early sign of what?
Neurodegenerative diseases like alzheimers, parkinsons
gustatory pathway
CN VII, IX, or X ->Solitary nucleus -> amygdala or hypothalamus or VPM thalamus -> Insula (gustatory cortex)-> amygdala
categories of taste (5)
sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami,
all tastes can be tasted anywhere in the tongue
Taste receptor domains
apical – transduction started
basal – electrical signals generated
