GROSS ANATOMY

Detailed explanation-1: -The mitral cells are the principal neurons in the olfactory bulb. They have primary apical dendrites which extend into a spherical bundle of a glomerulus. Their axons merge together to form the olfactory tract. The mitral cells transmit information about odorants to the olfactory cortex.

Detailed explanation-2: -The axons of olfactory sensory neurons expressing the same odorant receptor type converge together as they cross into the brain and arborize together to form glomeruli (shaded ovals) across the surface of the olfactory bulb. Several classes of olfactory bulb neuron innervate each glomerulus.

Detailed explanation-3: -The olfactory bulb sends olfactory information to be further processed in the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the hippocampus where it plays a role in emotion, memory and learning.

Detailed explanation-4: -From the olfactory cortex, information about smell is sent to the orbitofrontal cortex via the dorsal medial nucleus of the thalamus. The orbitofrontal cortex is a portion of the prefrontal cortex that is located on the underside of the frontal lobe and situated over the eye orbit.

Detailed explanation-5: -Sensory neurons in the nose detect odor molecules and relay signals to the olfactory bulb, a structure in the forebrain where initial odor processing occurs. The olfactory bulb primarily transmits information to the piriform cortex, the main structure of the olfactory cortex, for more comprehensive processing.