Extreme sensitivity in an olfactory system

Peter Anderson; Bill Hansson; A Desogus; Barbarossa I Tomassini; A-M Angioy

doi:10.1093/chemse/28.4.279

Extreme sensitivity in an olfactory system

Peter Anderson
, Bill Hansson
, A Desogus
, Barbarossa I Tomassini
, A-M Angioy

Publication: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review

Abstract

We recorded olfactory-induced cardiac responses to evaluate olfactory response thresholds to behaviourally relevant odours in a moth. Specific antennal receptor neurons enable insects to detect biologically meaningful odours such as sex pheromones and host-plant volatiles. The response threshold values demonstrated here are well below anything earlier reported in any organism. A heart response was triggered by less than six molecules of the most efficient odours hitting the antennae of the insect. The behavioural significance of this extreme sensitivity most likely lies in the creation of awareness and readiness to respond behaviourally at higher concentration levels.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	279-284
Number of pages	6
Journal	Chemical Senses
Volume	28
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/28.4.279
Publication status	Published - 2003

Keywords

moth
sex pheromone
plant odours
cardiac response

Access to Document

10.1093/chemse/28.4.279

Cite this

@article{35ac303aa31945fb9c042eb9da5164ee,

title = "Extreme sensitivity in an olfactory system",

abstract = "We recorded olfactory-induced cardiac responses to evaluate olfactory response thresholds to behaviourally relevant odours in a moth. Specific antennal receptor neurons enable insects to detect biologically meaningful odours such as sex pheromones and host-plant volatiles. The response threshold values demonstrated here are well below anything earlier reported in any organism. A heart response was triggered by less than six molecules of the most efficient odours hitting the antennae of the insect. The behavioural significance of this extreme sensitivity most likely lies in the creation of awareness and readiness to respond behaviourally at higher concentration levels.",

keywords = "moth, sex pheromone, plant odours, cardiac response, moth, sex pheromone, plant odours, cardiac response",

author = "Peter Anderson and Bill Hansson and A Desogus and Tomassini, \{Barbarossa I\} and A-M Angioy",

year = "2003",

doi = "10.1093/chemse/28.4.279",

language = "English",

volume = "28",

pages = "279--284",

journal = "Chemical Senses",

issn = "0379-864X",

publisher = "OXFORD UNIV PRESS",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Extreme sensitivity in an olfactory system

AU - Anderson, Peter

AU - Hansson, Bill

AU - Desogus, A

AU - Tomassini, Barbarossa I

AU - Angioy, A-M

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - We recorded olfactory-induced cardiac responses to evaluate olfactory response thresholds to behaviourally relevant odours in a moth. Specific antennal receptor neurons enable insects to detect biologically meaningful odours such as sex pheromones and host-plant volatiles. The response threshold values demonstrated here are well below anything earlier reported in any organism. A heart response was triggered by less than six molecules of the most efficient odours hitting the antennae of the insect. The behavioural significance of this extreme sensitivity most likely lies in the creation of awareness and readiness to respond behaviourally at higher concentration levels.

AB - We recorded olfactory-induced cardiac responses to evaluate olfactory response thresholds to behaviourally relevant odours in a moth. Specific antennal receptor neurons enable insects to detect biologically meaningful odours such as sex pheromones and host-plant volatiles. The response threshold values demonstrated here are well below anything earlier reported in any organism. A heart response was triggered by less than six molecules of the most efficient odours hitting the antennae of the insect. The behavioural significance of this extreme sensitivity most likely lies in the creation of awareness and readiness to respond behaviourally at higher concentration levels.

KW - moth

KW - sex pheromone

KW - plant odours

KW - cardiac response

KW - moth

KW - sex pheromone

KW - plant odours

KW - cardiac response

UR - https://res.slu.se/id/publ/1267

U2 - 10.1093/chemse/28.4.279

DO - 10.1093/chemse/28.4.279

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 12771014

SN - 0379-864X

VL - 28

SP - 279

EP - 284

JO - Chemical Senses

JF - Chemical Senses

IS - 4

ER -

Extreme sensitivity in an olfactory system

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Cite this