Central olfactory structures

Abstract

Axons from the olfactory bulb (OB) project to multiple central structures of the brain, many of which, in turn, send axons back into the OB and/or to one another. These secondary sensory regions underlie many aspects of odor representation, valence, and learning, as well as serving some nonolfactory functions, though many details remain unclear. We here describe the connectivity and essential structural and functional properties of these postbulbar olfactory regions in the mammalian brain.

Keywords: Anterior olfactory nucleus; Central nervous system; Entorhinal cortex; Hippocampus; Lateral olfactory tract; Olfaction; Olfactory bulb; Pyriform cortex.