Responses of Olfactory Bulb Neurones to Odour Stimulation of Small Nasal Areas in the Salamander.

摘要

To deliver odors to small areas on the nasal receptor sheet a new method for local application of odor was developed. The flow rate, concentration, and time course of the odor were controlled using a previously described olfactometer. In 30 olfactometer bulb units it was found that if the response of the unit to odor delivered to the entire exposed receptor epithelium were suppression, then the unit tended to be suppressed when the odor was delivered to a number of localized epithelial regions. If the response were excitation to stimulation of the entire epithelium, then stimulation to one or two localized regions would elicit the maximum response. Different epithelial regions had the ability to cause excitation in the same unit depending on the odor. The data presented suggest the presence of restricted excitatory receptive fields for some olfactor bulb neurons for a particular odor. (Author)