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Olfactory receptors (ORs), also known as odorant receptors, are chemoreceptors expressed in the cell membranes of olfactory receptor neurons and are responsible for the detection of odorants (for example, compounds that have an odor) which give rise to the sense of smell.
For the first time, researchers have determined how a human olfactory receptor captures an airborne scent molecule, the pivotal chemical event that triggers our sense of smell. Whether it evokes roses or vanilla, cigarettes or gasoline, every scent starts with free-floating odor molecules that latch onto receptors in the nose.
olfactory receptor, protein capable of binding odour molecules that plays a central role in the sense of smell (olfaction). These receptors are common to arthropods, terrestrial vertebrates, fish, and other animals.
The hundreds of receptors that give us our sense of smell have been found to have important roles in other parts of the body, and the prospect of targeting them with drugs is growing. By. Liam...
Perceiving smell begins with olfactory receptors in the nose and ends in the brain. Each smell activates a specific combination of olfactory neurons, which the brain decodes as a particular aroma. This “combinatorial” coding allows us to detect many more smells than we have specific receptors.
For the first time, researchers have determined how a human olfactory receptor captures an airborne scent molecule, the pivotal chemical event that triggers our sense of smell.
In both insects and mammals, odorants bind to receptors in the cilia or dendrites of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), each of which expresses one or a small number of receptor types.
Using an advanced 3D imaging technique, researchers showed how receptors in the nose help decode the smell of complex odor mixtures in mice. The findings increase our understanding of how the brain perceives odors and may help reveal why some diseases cause a loss of smell.
How odorants are recognized by odorant receptors remains unclear. Here we provide mechanistic insight into how an odorant binds to a human odorant receptor. Using cryo-electron microscopy, we...
Each olfactory receptor can interact with only a subset of smelly molecules called odorants — and a single odorant can activate multiple receptors.