Olfactory Nerve: Overview, Function & Anatomy

Olfactory Nerve: Overview, Function & Anatomy

Describe the olfactory nerve in brief.

Answer. The olfactory nerve consists of about a dozen filaments, which represent the central processes of the bipolar neurons present in the olfactory epithelium. It is a sensory nerve and carries a sense of smell.

Functional Component Of Olfactory Nerve Special somatic afferent fibers

Origin And Course Of Olfactory Nerve The cell bodies of the olfactory nerves are located in the olfactory epithelium of nasal mucosa. The olfactory nerve begins as a dozen of filaments representing axons of bipolar neurons from the olfactory mucosa of the nasal cavity. These filaments pass through the cribriform plate of the ethmoid to synapse within the olfactory bulb in the anterior cranial fossa.

Applied Anatomy Of Olfactory Nerve The lesions of the olfactory nerve result in loss of smell, which is called anosmia. The sense of smell is also responsible for the finer appreciation of the taste of the food.