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odors

This image shows the olfactory bulb of a mouse. The caption best describes the image.

·March 9, 2015·3 min read

Understanding How Neurons Shape Memories of Smells

A new study into how olfaction is encoded in the brain could further understanding of the root cause of epileptic seizures.

The image shows the neurons in the fruit fly. The caption best describes the image.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 7, 2013·3 min read

How Neurons Enable Us to Know Smells We Like and Dislike, Whether to Approach or Retreat

Researchers reveal neurons in the brains of fruit flies which specifically respond to food odors.The findings could help scientists better understand why obese people choose to eat certain foods.

This is a diagram of the human olfactory system

Featured Neuroscience

·September 24, 2013·3 min read

A Shot of Anxiety and the World Stinks

A new neuroimaging study reveals how anxiety or stress can link areas of the brain for emotion and olfactory processing, making neutral odors smell malodorous.

This image is a coronal section through the main olfactory bulb of an adult male mouse.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 12, 2013·2 min read

Sense of Smell: The Nose and Brain Make Quite a Team, in Disconnection

Olfactory retentivity persists at a central level, helping us to identify new odors in complex environments and memorize smells, a new study suggests.

Featured Genetics

·May 29, 2013·3 min read

Genetic Engineering Alters Mosquitoes’ Sense of Smell

In one of the first successful attempts at genetically engineering mosquitoes, HHMI researchers have altered the way the insects respond to odors, including the smell of humans and the insect repellant DEET.

The image shows a woman smelling a flower.

Featured Neurology

·May 6, 2013·3 min read

Scientists Identify Critical Link In Mammalian Odor Detection

Researchers have identified the Ggamma13 protein is critical for the ability for mammals to detect odors. "Knockout" mice which lacked this protein were functionally anosmic, unable to smell. The study could provide insight into possible underlying causes of certain smell disorders in humans.