ABSTRACT
To detect a myriad of chemical cues signaling potential food, mates, and danger, most species (from worms, insects to mammals) develop sophisticated chemosensory systems. In mammals, the olfactory, gustatory, and trigeminal systems, which are primarily responsible for smell, taste, and somatosensation, respectively, are all involved in chemical senses. The nose, a seemingly unitary organ, consists of multiple olfactory apparatuses, among which the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) and the vomeronasal organ (VNO) have been extensively studied. Both systems comprise several subtypes of sensory cells with specialized morphological, molecular, and/or functional features. The MOE contains ciliated olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and microvillar cells. Most ciliated OSNs express G-protein-coupled odorant receptors (GPCRs) (Chapter 7) and employ the canonical cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) cascade to transform chemical energy into electrical signals
9.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................225 9.2 Subsystems within the Main Olfactory Epithelium (MOE) .................................................226
