Teaching Notes = Prezi Presentation

Opening Screen = Whats that funny smell?

Welcome students (whoever it may be)
Play background music (Smells like teen spirit, Nirvana)
Post-Office Model
1. Explain the roles in the post office model
a. Odorants = Messengers
b. OE = Post office
c. Olfactory Bulb = Post men
d. Brain = Recipients
2. Emphasize the simplicity of the model = Very relatable to the process of
olfaction
3. *Click to next stage* Make the link to olfaction
What is smell
1. Use the quote from chris farley = In the land of the skunks, he who has half a
nose is king to make it more relatable
2. Define the sense of smell/olfaction as The faculty or power of perceiving
odours or scents by means of the organs in the nose.
3. Highly Underrated = Explain how many people may at first perceive the sense
of smell to be the least important sense out of the five, which is false
4. 1/500 = 1 out of 500 of each persons genes are dedicated to olfaction =
This iterates the point of how vital the sense of smell actually is
5. First Scent = Explain how the sense of smell is the first scent used by
babies, and reiterates the point that olfaction is vital
6. 10,000 = We can differentiate as humans 10,000 different smells, spark
some amazement amongst crowd.
Olfactory Epithelium
1. Supporting = Makes up the cells between the two types of specialised cells. A
key component for the structure of the olfactory epithelium
2. Basal = This refers to the basal cells inside the olfactory epithelium. These
basal cells are vital for regenerating new sensory neurones, and therefore play a key
role
3. Olfactory sensory neuron = The most important part of the Olfactory
Epithelium. Converts the message from the odorant to an impulse for the brain to
analyse.
4. 10cm^2 = Humans have 10 cm2 of olfactory epithelium. For more
amazement, compare it to a dogs, who has about 170cm2 of olfactory epithelium.
5. Cilia+Mucus = The first stage in the process of sensing smells. The cilia
protrude from the olfactory sensory neurone, and is covered in a layer of sticky
mucus. The mucus is present so that the odorants can dissolve into it, and be sensed
by the olfactory receptor neurones.
Olfactory Sensory Neuron
1. Lock and Key = The lock and key model can be applied to this situation. The
basic premise is that only some odorants will trigger each olfactory sensory neuron,
and therefore not every odor will be picked up by each olfactory sensory neuron. The

combination of neurons which are triggered by the odorant molecule will be compiled
into one impulse to the brain. This basically means that one scent is composed of
many olfactory sensory neurons reacting to the odorant molecule.
2. G-Protein = Responsible for transmitting signals of stimuli from the outside
membrane of a cell to its inside. Communicating between the outside and the inside
of the sensory receptor neurone. The G protein then activates adenylyl cyclase,
which is an enzyme that acts as a catalyst (a chemical substance which speeds up
the rate of a reaction without being used up).
3. ATP => cAMP = Converts ATP (a very high energy store which essential to all
life) to the secondary messenger (cyclic AMP) and acts a messenger within the cell
or cytosol (unfacilitated space in cytoplasm).
4. Sodium Channel = cAMP opens a channel for little sodium ions. This is called
a ligand-gated sodium channel. This channel then facillitates the diffusion of sodium
across the plasma membrane, and into the cell. This facilitation is assisting the rate
of diffusion, increasing the rate at which the cell fills with sodium ions.
Sending the message
1. Depolarisation = As more sodium comes into the cell, the potential
(difference) decreases. This causes a build up of depolarisation (increasing the
charge of the cell from negative to positive) which is completed when the interior of
the cell becomes positively charged
2. Threshold = When depolarisation reaches a threshold (the cut off level for
charge), the built up charge is released as a signal
3. Action Threshold = This signal is called an action potential that travels down
the axon (middle bit) of the neurone.
4. Olfactory Bulb = These action potentials from many cells travel through
glomeruli and then onto mitral cells, which converge into a single message at the
olfactory bulb.
5. Olfactory Nerve = The olfactory bulb then passes on this and other olfactory
signals down the olfactory nerve/tract to the brain.
Uses of that message
GENERAL = The message, upon reaching the brain, travels to the amygdala (involved with
emotions), thalamus (involved with reflexes and alertness) , and then the neocortex
(involved with sensory perception).
1. Amygdala = This explains why we can feel emotion when we smell something
(be happy, relax) , the amygdala is also positioned very close to the hippocampus
and limbic system (which involves memory) and is why we remember certain
events/people or reminders when smelling a certain scent. This means every place
has a certain scent attached to it, that is triggered upon exposure.
2. Thalamus = Explain why can react when we smell smoke, or something
burning from thalamus. Keeps us alert
3. Neocortex = Also explains why we can get hungry when smelling something,
as that is our neocortex perceiving something that we may not see, but can induce
from the sense of smell
Animal Usage
1. Humans = We all use our sense of smell everyday, alongside all other
animals. Keeps us alert of our surroundings.

2. Search Teams = Dog search teams who use dogs with an acute sense of
smell to find human bodies amongst rubble.
3. Sperm = The sperm express odor receptors in the head, which leads them to
certain chemicals which could possibly be secreted by the female egg.
Sleep Inducement
1. Lavender = Eases anxiety and insomnia in people more prone to the issue
2. Anxiety, insomnia, night terrors = Upon inhaling, molecules enter the brain
and interact with centers associated with emotion: the amygdala and hippocampus.
Lavender appears to act as a sedative in these areas, thereby reducing feelings of
stress and anxiety. Lavender significantly lowered serum cortisol levels in healthy
men. Cortisol is a hormone associated with stress. This finding may give more insight
into lavenders anxiety reducing effects.
3. Migrant Crisis = Migrants are gaining no sleep due to the quality of homes.
We could use olfaction to increase the amount of sleep they get, leading them to a
lesser risk of serious medical risk. Emphasize that this can be used right now with
current world issues.
Genetic engineering/Hospital usage
1. Bioengineering olfactory epithelium = Genetically engineer a device
mimicking the process of detecting odor molecules. Thus with quicker times to find
people and rescue before they die. This is biomimicking dogs, without having to be
completely dependant on them
2. Reduce pain = Bring back happier memories. Take someone to another place
in their train of thought
3. Post traumatic stress disorder = Make them move on past an incident by the
use of olfaction to give them more positive emotions.
References