Olfaction and Gustation

Olfaction

Ability to detect airborne chemicals as scents or smells

Olfactory epithelium

Patch of tissue in the back of the nasal cavity embedded with chemoreceptors

Chemoreceptors

Receptors in the olfactory epithelium that detect odorant molecules

Olfactory bulb

Transfers nerve impulses from the olfactory epithelium to the brain

Specific scent

Perceived by the brain based on the combination of activated olfactory receptors

Gustation

Detection of taste by chemoreceptors in the oral cavity

Papillae

Small bumps on the tongue that contain taste buds

Taste buds

Specialized sensory cells in the papillae that detect chemicals in the mouth

Gustatory cells

Release neurotransmitters upon stimulation to activate neural pathways

Medulla

Part of the brain where taste information travels to from the gustatory cells

Thalamus

Relays taste information from the medulla to the gustatory cortex

Gustatory cortex

Located in the frontal lobe, processes taste information

Flavor perception

Expanded by olfactory information, why food may taste flavorless with a virus or cold