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17-12-2020
Column: Nature Notes - OLFACTION THE SENSE OF SMELL
Column: Nature Notes - OLFACTION THE SENSE OF SMELL
Smell (olfaction) and taste (gustation) are activated by chemicals and are described as chemoreceptive senses.
In humans chemoreceptors are located in the olfactory epithelium – a patch of tissue the size of a postage stamp located high in the nasal cavity. The sensory neurons are immersed in a layer of mucus; when airborne odour molecules enter the nasal cavity, they dissolve in the mucus and bind with the specific receptors. These olfactory sensory neurones generate an impulse along the olfactory nerve to the olfactory bulb which processes the signal and passes information to the limbic system, including the amygdala which plays a role in emotional memories.
The limbic system plays a major role in controlling mood, memory, behaviour and emotion. The olfactory system also relates to the hippocampus which is critical in developing memories. The structure of the limbic system was present in early mammals, so it is often regarded as the old and primitive part of the brain.

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