Les récepteurs olfactifs et le codage des odeurs

The first step of the olfactory detection involves the activation by odorants of olfactory receptors, which are membrane proteins embedded in the membrane of olfactory neurons. Odour coding results from the combinatory activation of a set of receptors and rests on their clonal expression. Neuronal olfactory connexion leads to the formation, in the cortex, of a specific sensory map, which gives rise to the odor perception. This combinatorial system allows, with approximately 340 different receptors, to discriminate myriads of odorants that are natural or not (new cooking flavours, synthetic chemicals…). The extreme olfactory genome diversity in human beings may explain different food behaviours.