Biology / Bio 2889 · Atom · ~20 seconds
Olfaction: Receptor Diversity and Odor Coding
Video not yet published
to the StudyWalks catalog
to the StudyWalks catalog
State
Olfactory receptors, each responding to specific odorant molecules, combine in overlapping patterns so a limited set of receptor types can encode thousands of distinct smells.
Show
Coffee and chocolate activate overlapping but distinct receptor combinations, so each smells recognizably different despite shared receptor types.
Watch for
Olfactory signals reach the cortex directly, unlike nearly every other sense, which is routed through the thalamus first.