olfaction

Question 1

odorant’s job

Answer 1

tell us attraction or aversion to food

Question 2

pheromone’s job

Answer 2

attraction to others and detection of others

Question 3

what does the identification of odorants or pheromones require?

Answer 3

1. isolation
2. identification
3. synthesis
4. confirmation of activity in a bioassay

Question 4

macrosmatic species

Answer 4

animals with a keen sense of smell

Question 5

microsmatic species

Answer 5

animals with a relatively poor sense of smell

Question 6

anosmatic species

Answer 6

animals with not sense of smell (ie dolphins)

Question 7

allomone

Answer 7

a substance that is release from one animal and carries a message to an animal of a DIFFERENT SPECIES for the benefit of the EMITTER, not the receiver (ie skunk)

Question 8

kairomone

Answer 8

substance that is emitted by one species that benefits a DIFFERENT SPECIES that benefits the RECEIVER, not the emitter (ie fox poo and mice)

Question 9

signature odor

Answer 9

species-specific combo of compounds that carry a message when presented in a precise ratio (ie litter mate vs stranger )

Question 10

where are odorants detected?

Answer 10

mainly in the olfactory epithelium

Question 11

where are pheromones mainly detected?

Answer 11

the vomeronasal organ and Gruneberg’s ganglion, also in the olfactory epithelium

Question 12

what are odors strongly influenced by?

Answer 12

1. osmophores = polar functional groups

2. overall molecular shape

Question 13

odorant receptors are what kind of receptors?

Answer 13

G-protein coupled receptors

Question 14

how many types of receptors are there on olfactory sensory neurons?

Answer 14

1

Question 15

overview of odorant signal transduction

Answer 15

odorant -> receptor -> depolarization -> AP -> NT release