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The Olfactory System pp 1–18Cite as

Unique Characteristics of the Olfactory System

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Abstract

The olfactory system in the brain plays key roles in the daily lives of humans and animals. This chapter briefly sketches the recent rapid progress in understanding the structure and function of the olfactory system and some unsolved important questions regarding this system. Olfactory perception occurs in discrete respirations (sniffs), and this chapter underscores the intimate relationship between the function of the olfactory system and the sniff rhythm. In addition, this chapter provides basic knowledge about the unique characteristics of the olfactory neural circuits, starting from olfactory sensory neurons in the nose through the olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex up to the orbitofrontal cortex and olfactory tubercle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 118-0033, Japan

    Kensaku Mori & Hiroyuki Manabe

Authors
  1. Kensaku Mori
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  2. Hiroyuki Manabe
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Correspondence to Kensaku Mori .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Kensaku Mori

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Mori, K., Manabe, H. (2014). Unique Characteristics of the Olfactory System. In: Mori, K. (eds) The Olfactory System. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54376-3_1

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