What is the olfactory system?
Q: What is the olfactory system?
A: The olfactory system is the sensory system used for olfaction or the sense of smell.
Q: How many parts does most mammals and reptiles have in their olfactory system?
A: Most mammals and reptiles have two parts to their olfactory system, a main olfactory system which detects volatile, airborne substances, and a secondary or accessory olfactory system which senses fluid-based stimuli.
Q: What type of stimuli are usually detected by the accessory olfactory system?
A: Behavioral evidence indicates that most often, the stimuli detected by the accessory olfactory system are pheromones.
Q: How do chemosensory senses like taste and smell work?
A: Chemosensory senses like taste and smell change chemical signals into nerve impulses, which are translated into perceptions in the brain.
Q: What part of the brain deals with olfaction?
A: The part of the brain which deals with olfaction is called rhinencephalon, a small part in humans but much more important in other vertebrates.
Q: Who won Nobel Prize for their work on the Olfactory System?
A: Linda B. Buck and Richard Axel won 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work on Olfactory System.
Q: How many genes for Olfactory Receptors were estimated to be present in mammalian genome according to Buck & Axel's research?
A: By analyzing rat DNA, they estimated that there were about one thousand different genes for Olfactory Receptors in mammalian genome.
