Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Olfactory Receptor


We just learned about the Olfactory Mucosa.

Another part of the nose is the Olfactory Receptor, also called odorant receptors or just OR.

These are tiny little parts of cells in the nose that sit and wait for smells to come in.
There are tiny little hairs called cilia that these cells are in, just waiting for something to smell.

If a smell comes in, it will be made up of some chemicals.
Each olfactory receptor is built to handle a different type of smell.

When a smell like a flower comes in, that will bring flower smelling chemicals into the nose, and the receptors that are waiting for flower smells will get excited and let out other chemicals that tell the brain which kind of smell just came in.


(from: wikipedia - olfactory receptor)


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