Olfactory nerve
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| Nerve: Olfactory nerve | |
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| Latin | nervus olfactorius |
| Gray's | subject #196 |
| MeSH | Olfactory+Nerve |
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The olfactory nerve, or cranial nerve I, is the first of twelve cranial nerves. The specialized olfactory receptor neurons of the olfactory nerve are located in the olfactory mucosa of the upper parts of the nasal cavity. The olfactory nerve consists of a collection of sensory nerve fibers that extend from the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb, passing through the many openings of the cribriform plate, a sieve-like structure.
Olfactory receptor neurons continue to be born throughout life and extend new axons to the olfactory bulb. Olfactory ensheathing glia wrap bundles of these axons and are thought to facilitate their passage into the central nervous system.
The sense of smell (olfaction) arises from the stimulation of the olfactory receptors by activation from gas molecules that pass by the nose during respiration. The resulting electrical activity is transduced into the olfactory bulb which then transmits the electrical activity to other parts of the olfactory system and the rest of the central nervous system via the olfactory tract.
The olfactory nerve is the shortest of all the twelve cranial nerves and only one of two cranial nerves (the other being the optic nerve) that do not join with the brainstem.
Testing the Olfactory nerve
To test the function of the olfactory nerve, doctors block one of the patient's nostrils and place a pungent odor (such as damp coffee essence) under the open nostril. The test to see if the patient can detect the smell is then repeated on the other nostril.
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See also
External links
Sensory system: Olfactory system/Olfaction |
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| Olfactory bulb • Olfactory nerve • Olfactory epithelium • Glomeruli • Olfactory mucosa • Olfactory receptor neurons • Mitral cells • Piriform cortex |
| Rhinencephalon • Olfactory tract • Olfactory trigone |
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Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
de:Nervus olfactorius
fi:Hajuhermo
fr:Nerf olfactif
lt:Uoslės nervas
nl:Nervus olfactorius
ja:嗅神経
no:Nervus olfactorius
