● The olfactory organ resides in the superior part of the nasal cavity, near the brain.

Air
doesn’t circulate well there, so to really smell something, you’ve got to breathe forcefully
through the nose.
● Most humans recognize 2000- 3000 distinct odors…some can sense up to 10,000.
● Females are more sensitive to odors than males normally, especially around the time of
ovulation.

The Olfactory Organ

● Covers about 1.5 sq. in.

● Made of 12 million olfactory cells and supporting neuroglial cells
● Each olfactory cell has about 10-20 cilia (olfactory hairs) at its inferior end. These are
the binding sites for odor-causing molecules.
● The axons of these cells merge into bundles (fascicles) that become the olfactory nerves
after passing through the ethmoid bone.
● Since these cells contact air directly, they die quickly (lifespan only ~60 days).

How an Odor is Sensed

1. Odor molecules dissolve into the mucus and bind with receptors on olfactory hairs.
2. Membrane potential is initiated and travels to olfactory bulbs.
3. The signal travels on olfactory nerves to, usually, the temporal lobe of the brain, where it
is interpreted.

Adaptation

If an odor persists for a while, the molecules from the source continue to bind with receptors,
and the receptors continue to initiate membrane potentials. The brain eventually interrupts the
conduction of the repetitive signal in the olfactory bulbs.

Sensitivity

Humans are regarded as having a poor sense of smell. Dogs, bears, and other animals have
many more receptors (4 billion in the case of the bloodhound) and many have more of their
brain dedicated to olfaction. Bears use ½ of their brain for olfaction, while sharks have as much
as ⅔ dedicated to smell.

Chapter 15: Sense of Taste

Chemical receptors for gustation are taste buds (roughly 4000 on the tongue, cheeks, palate,
throat, and pharynx).

Taste is best developed on the surface of the tongue. There are 4 types of bumps on the
tongue (lingual papillae):

1. Filiform papillae: spikes w/ no taste bud; no gustatory role, but help sense texture of
food (mouthfeel)
2. Foliate papillae: form parallel ridges on back ½ of tongue; not really functional
3. Fungiform papillae: shaped like mushrooms; 3 taste buds on each bump; concentrated
on tip and sides of the tongue
4. Vallarta papillae: arranged in a V at the back of the tongue; only 7-12, but have about ½
of taste buds (~250 each)

The taste bud sits in a taste pore. Receptors called taste hairs sense molecules dissolved in
saliva > flooding of taste pore. 5 basic types of taste are:

1. salty: action potential triggered by Na and K; lateral margins of tongue

2. sweet: stimulated by sugars & other carbs; plant seed dispersal (fruits); anterior ⅓ of
tongue
3. Sour: stimulated by acids such as citric acid (fruits); lateral margins of tongue
4. bitter: stimulated by alkaloids like caffeine, nicotine, quinine, and morphine; spoiled foods
> plant protection in leaves; rear of the tongue
5. umami: stimulated by amino acids ~ ‘meatiness’; no known region

All flavors are a combination of these 5 tastes. Odors enhance flavors through the stimulation
of olfactory organs. Without smell, a Skittle tastes just sweet…not flavorful. A lemon drop
tastes sour…not flavorful. How well do you sense flavors when you have a cold or allergies?

Cranial nerves responsible for taste:

Anterior 2/3 of the tongue: facial nerve

Posterior 1/3 of the tongue: glossopharyngeal nerve

Palate, pharynx, epiglottis: vagus nerve