Scientists create first detailed smell map of mouse noses
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · May 7
Scientists create first detailed smell map of mouse noses
13 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · May 7
Using data from more than 300 mice and sequencing about 5 million nasal cells, Sandeep Datta's team mapped 2.3 million olfactory sensory neurons.
The study found receptors are arranged in ordered horizontal gradients, not randomly, and that retinoic acid helps shape this pattern; altering its levels shifted receptor layout.
Researchers said the nasal arrangement mirrors the olfactory bulb's organisation and could improve understanding of human smell and future treatments for smell loss.
This new smell 'map' was found in mice; can the same key unlock the human sense of smell?
If a broken sense of smell predicts brain disease, could fixing the nose help protect the brain itself?
Our sense of smell is highly organized, but could this precise order be its greatest weakness?