An odor is most likely encoded by a(n):
A) single receptor specialized for that odor
B) activation pattern across several receptor types
C) single olfactory and a single gustatory receptor
D) activation pattern across several olfactory and gustatory receptor types

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An odor is typically detected by a unique combination of activation across multiple receptor types, rather than a single specialized receptor for that specific odor. This allows for a wide range of detectable odors with the limited number of receptors available in the olfactory system.

An Odor Is Most Likely Encoded by A(n)