Olfaction: diverse species, conserved principles.
Olfaction is a vitally important sense for all animals. There are striking similarities between species in the organization of the olfactory pathway, from the nature of the odorant receptor proteins, to perireceptor processes, to the organization of the olfactory CNS, through odor-guided behavior and memory. These common features span a phylogenetically broad array of animals, implying that there is an optimal solution to the problem of detecting and discriminating odors.
Ache
Barry W
BW
Whitney Lab for Marine Bioscience, Department of Zoology, Center for Smell and Taste and McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA. bwa@whitney.ufl.edu
Young
Janet M
JM
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*
D018035:Receptors, Odorant