Review of Research Paper about Odor Maps :: Biology Scent Smell

Missing figures and pictures Introduction Imagine you have just walked into a sweet smelling pastry shop. As the delicious sugary sweet smell enters your nostrils, your mouth begins to water. Your stomach begins to moan and you realize that you want to eat that delicious pastry. Have you ever wondered why these things occur? Have you ever wondered how your brain actually knows what it is smelling and doesn't just clump different scents into one single smell? Wouldn't it be awful if all you could smell was a mixture of the world around you? In this simple tutorial, we will show you how researchers are now solving the mysteries of scent. Background In order for researchers to start learning the functions of scent they had to use a test agent in which to perform experiment on. They found that manduka moths were great models because their antennas were basically their main scent receptors, and of course because moths reproduce well and are small enough to maintain. Interestingly enough, Manduka are extremely good models because they are much bigger than other moths, making them easier to see. Additionally, their brains are much larger, facilitating research. - Everything begins within the lab, including reproduction of the moths. - Male and female moths are placed into a cage where they mate and produce eggs. - The eggs are usually found on the leaves of plants within the cage which researchers collect and place into containers. - The eggs are placed on a growing media, basically a food supplement, so that when the eggs hatch the larvae can begin to feed. They are stored in a room with a controlled temperature as well. - The larvae begin to grow in size as they eat more and more of the food supplement. - Eventually, each caterpillar is placed into its own little container with a large block of food supplement, where it will grow until it is ready to metamorphose. - When the caterpillar are ready to metamorphose, researchers place them into their own compartment Basically, the compartment is a box of wood with holes drilled out and a lid to make the box dark. - When the caterpillars are almost ready to come out of their hard shell (cocoon), researchers place them onto a plate. Once they come out of their cocoon they are full grown and ready to be researched upon. Hypothesis - Glomeruli are the functional modules in the brain olfactory system, and each glomerulus responds to a different odor.