Question 1

Research has shown that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is involved in:

Accepted Answer

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is involved in representing the emotional dimensions of odor perception, integrating the sensory input with the emotional response it elicits.

Question 2

Willander and Larsson (2006) studied autobiographical memories elicited by odors, words, or pictures for participants 65 to 80 years of age. They found that for the group that:

Accepted Answer

Willander and Larsson (2006) found that odors were more effective than words or pictures in evoking autobiographical memories, and notably, these odor-evoked memories were more likely to come from the first decade of life. This suggests a unique link between smells and early life experiences.

Question 3

Stevenson et al. (2010) studied human responses to fecal and urinous odorants and found that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Stevenson et al. (2010) studied human responses...

Question 4

The fact that there are many more types of olfactory receptor neurons than types of color cones in vision indicates that:

Accepted Answer

Olfactory receptor neurons can be more narrowly tuned than cones, meaning they can respond to a smaller range of stimuli.

Question 5

The fact that odor-evoked memories that tend to be quickly acquired, long lasting, and emotionally charged has been attributed to the fact that the olfactory pathway includes the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex, and the:

Accepted Answer

The olfactory pathway includes the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex, and the hippocampus. The hippocampus plays a crucial role in the formation of new memories, which explains why odor-evoked memories are often vivid and long-lasting.

Question 6

The _____ cortex is the primary olfactory cortex.

Accepted Answer

The piriform cortex is recognized as the primary olfactory cortex because it is the first cortical region to receive olfactory information directly from the olfactory bulb, playing a crucial role in the processing and perception of smells.

Question 7

Which subdivision of the piriform cortex produces representations of the features of odorant molecules?

Accepted Answer

The anterior subdivision of the piriform cortex is responsible for producing representations of the features of odorant molecules. This area is involved in the detailed processing of olfactory information, including the identification and discrimination of different odors based on their molecular characteristics.

Question 8

The piriform cortex is considered to be the _____ olfactory cortex.

Accepted Answer

The piriform cortex is considered to be the primary olfactory cortex because it is the first region within the brain that receives olfactory information directly from the olfactory bulb.

Question 9

According to the research of Rabin and Cain (1984), the ability to acquire long-lasting memories for odors revealed that:

Accepted Answer

Rabin and Cain (1984) found that memory for odors tends to fade very little over time, indicating that olfactory memories are relatively stable from 10 minutes to 7 days later.

Question 10

The area of the brain that receives inputs from the piriform cortex and is involved in evaluating the pleasantness of stimuli is the:

Accepted Answer

The orbitofrontal cortex is involved in the cognitive processing of decision-making and is crucial for evaluating the pleasantness of stimuli, including those related to smell, taste, and reward, receiving inputs from various sensory areas including the piriform cortex.

Question 11

Cindy inhales a complex mixture of odorants that she recognizes and identifies as bacon. Which area of the piriform cortex is responsible for her ability to name the odor?

Accepted Answer

The posterior piriform cortex is involved in the identification and naming of odors, as it integrates olfactory information with higher cognitive processes.

Question 12

The entorhinal cortex is the gateway to the _____, where long-term memories are stored and retrieved.

Accepted Answer

The entorhinal cortex is the gateway to the hippocampus, which plays a major role in the storage and retrieval of long-term memories.

Question 13

The results of the study on neural coding for odors by Malnic et al. (1999) indicated that:

Accepted Answer

The study by Malnic et al. (1999) showed that the perception of odors is determined by the pattern of responses from multiple olfactory receptor neurons, indicating that a combinatorial code is used for odor identification.

Question 14

Howard et al. (2009) used fMRI to measure the activity in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in response to odorants with either minty, woody, or citrus qualities, and the results showed that the activity in the OFC:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Howard et al. (2009) used fMRI to...

Question 15

Dogs are more sensitive at detecting odors than humans because:

Accepted Answer

Dogs have significantly more olfactory receptors than humans, with up to 1 billion compared to humans' 3-7 million, making them more sensitive at detecting odors.

Question 16

The only sensory system in which the pathway from the receptors to the cortex does NOT go through the thalamus is the _____ system.

Accepted Answer

The olfactory system is unique because the pathway from the olfactory receptors to the cortex does not involve the thalamus, unlike the visual, somatosensory, and auditory systems, where the thalamus acts as a relay station.

Question 17

The _____ is the only brain region that both receives signals directly from the olfactory bulb and is known to be dedicated solely to olfaction.

Accepted Answer

The piriform cortex is the only brain region that directly receives signals from the olfactory bulb and is solely dedicated to processing olfactory (smell) information, distinguishing it from other areas that may have multiple functions or receive olfactory signals indirectly.

Question 18

Willander and Larsson (2006) studied autobiographical memories elicited by odors, words, or pictures for participants aged 65 to 80 years. They found that the feeling of being "brought back in time" was STRONGEST for participants in the _____ age group.

Accepted Answer

Odors have a unique ability to trigger vivid autobiographical memories, often more effectively than words or pictures. This phenomenon is due to the direct connection between the olfactory system and the brain areas involved in memory and emotion, making the feeling of being "brought back in time" strongest for memories elicited by odors.

Question 19

Which subdivision of the piriform cortex represents the quality of an odor, regardless of whether the odor is simple or complex?

Accepted Answer

The posterior piriform cortex is involved in representing the quality of an odor, processing both simple and complex odors.

Question 20

The olfactory pathway from the receptors to the cortex does NOT go through the thalamus. This suggests that the:

Accepted Answer

The olfactory system's direct pathway to the cortex, bypassing the thalamus, suggests it is an older evolutionary system compared to other sensory systems that do route through the thalamus. This indicates the olfactory system evolved earlier, allowing for direct processing of smells without the intermediary step of thalamic relay, which is seen in the later evolved sensory pathways.

Quiz 14: Olfaction: Perceiving Odors