How nerve cells distinguish odors

Whether different odors can be quickly recognized depends on certain synapses in the brain that restrain nerve stimulation. The researchers in Professor Dr. Thomas Kuner's team at the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Heidelberg University Medical School and Dr. Andreas Schäfer at the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research have shown that mice in which a certain receptor in the olfactory center is missing can distinguish similar smells more quickly than mice without genetic manipulation. The behavior that was discovered was directly caused by the inhibitor loops between adjacent nerve cells.

Odors attach to receptors of olfactory cells in nasal mucosa, where they trigger nerve signals. These signals are processed in what is known as the olfactory bulb, a part of the brain. In the neuronal network, the incoming signal is converted to a specific electrical pattern that is transmitted to the cerebral cortex and other areas of the brain and is recognized there.

I think it is pretty interesting that the nerve cells in my body are able to distinguish different odors that my body can create. There is obviously a whole bunch of different cells and parts of the brain that contribute to this discovery. I am just so amazed at how researchers can find out all these types of extremely interresting things and then be able to share them with everyday people.

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2010/04/28/how_nerve_cells_distinguish_odors.html