Function follows form: ecological constraints on odor codes and olfactory percepts.
Sensory system function has evolved to meet the biological needs of organisms, but it is less often regarded that sensory system form has by necessity evolved to contend with the stimulus. For an olfactory system extracting meaningful information from natural scents, the ecological milieu presents unique problems. Recent studies provide new insights into the perceptual and neural mechanisms underlying how odorant elements are assembled into odor wholes, how odor percepts are reconstructed from degraded inputs, and how learning and experience sculpt olfactory categorical perception. These data show that spatial ensemble activity patterns in piriform cortex are closely linked to the perceptual meaning and identity of odor objects, substantiating theoretical models that emphasize the importance of distributed templates for the perception, discrimination, and recall of olfactory quality.
Gottfried
Jay A
JA
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Cognitive Neurology & Alzheimer's Disease Center, 320 E. Superior St., Searle 11-453, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. j-gottfried@northwestern.edu
D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009812:Odorants; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D018034:Olfactory Receptor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D018035:Receptors, Odorant / Q000502:physiology; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*
D018035:Receptors, Odorant