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Anatomy, Physiology, and Neurobiology of Olfaction, Gustation, and Chemesthesis

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Sensory Science and Chronic Diseases

Abstract

Olfaction and gustation allow us to monitor and adapt to our internal and external environments, including our ability to choose foods and avoid potential hazards. Olfactory and gustatory tissues are positioned at key anatomical regions to sense odors and tastes that carry important information about our environment. Specialized signal transduction cascades then relay these sensory signals to the central nervous system. In turn, olfactory and gustatory regions and associated areas receive and process sensory information. This chapter provides a summary of human olfaction and gustation. Each section explores: the key anatomical regions associated with olfaction and gustation, the signal transduction cascades initiated by sensory stimuli, and how this sensory information is relayed to the brain. We discuss established knowledge of olfactory and gustatory systems as well as emerging literature. The goal of this chapter is to provide a basic background of the anatomy, physiology, and neurobiology of human olfaction that will serve as a foundation for the subsequent chapters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Rosario B. Jaime-Lara, Leann To & Paule Valery Joseph

  2. National Institute of Nursing Research, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Rosario B. Jaime-Lara, Leann To & Paule Valery Joseph

Authors
  1. Rosario B. Jaime-Lara
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  2. Leann To
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  3. Paule Valery Joseph
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Correspondence to Rosario B. Jaime-Lara .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute of Nursing Research Bethesda, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Paule Valery Joseph

  2. Department of Allied Health Sciences College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA

    Valerie Buzas Duffy

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Jaime-Lara, R.B., To, L., Joseph, P.V. (2021). Anatomy, Physiology, and Neurobiology of Olfaction, Gustation, and Chemesthesis. In: Joseph, P.V., Duffy, V.B. (eds) Sensory Science and Chronic Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86282-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86282-4_1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-86282-4

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