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The Human Sense of Smell pp 199–215Cite as

Olfactory Adaptation

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Abstract

Sensory adaptation is the reduction of sensitivity following stimulation, and is common to all senses. The phenomenon is more striking in some senses (vision and olfaction) than in others (hearing). Adaptation is thought to be an important functional mechanism preventing overflow in the central parts of the nervous system by neural activity resulting from stimuli that are either too strong or of long duration. Thus, it helps the organism to remain alert for new information.

Keywords

  • Test Stimulus
  • Adaptation Time
  • Mitral Cell
  • Odor Intensity
  • Complete Adaptation

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Authors
  1. E P Köster
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  2. Rene A de Wijk
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. CSIRO Sensory Research Center, P.O. Box 52, 2113, North Ryde, NSW, Australia

    Dr. David G. Laing

  2. Smell and Taste Center School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, 19104, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Dr. Richard L. Doty

  3. Department of Anatomy, University of Queensland, 4067, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

    Assoc. Professor Winrich Breipohl

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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Köster, E.P., de Wijk, R.A. (1991). Olfactory Adaptation. In: Laing, D.G., Doty, R.L., Breipohl, W. (eds) The Human Sense of Smell. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76223-9_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-76223-9_10

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