olfactory bulb
noun
: a bulbous anterior projection of the olfactory lobe that is the place of termination of the olfactory nerves and is especially well developed in lower vertebrates (such as fishes)
Examples of olfactory bulb in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Because cannabis affects cannabinoid receptors in the olfactory bulb in the brain, food can smell and taste more intense.
—
Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2022
These pathways start at the olfactory bulb, involved in odor detection, and terminate at the limbic system, an area critical to basic reactions such as fear and arousal.
—Gustavo Arrizabalaga and Bill Sullivan, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2015
The researchers estimated from the skull left behind that the bear had a relatively small brain but a massive olfactory bulb sticking out the front of it, which would have processed smells.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2023
The barrier in the olfactory bulb, for example, acts differently and has a different protein composition than the barrier in the hippocampus, Rhea said.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 20 June 2023
In experiments with rats in 2016 and 2018, the team showed that using electrodes to directly stimulate spots on the surface of the olfactory bulb generated patterns of neural activity deep in the bulb, in the neurons that passed messages on to other parts of the brain.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2022
The implant is also about the right size for the olfactory bulb on the edge of the brain.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2022
Placing electrodes on the olfactory bulb would be new territory.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2022
Scent molecules activate olfactory receptors and signals travel up the olfactory nerves to the olfactory bulb, and then on to the rest of the brain via the olfactory tract.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2019
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Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2022
These pathways start at the olfactory bulb, involved in odor detection, and terminate at the limbic system, an area critical to basic reactions such as fear and arousal.
—Gustavo Arrizabalaga and Bill Sullivan, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2015
The researchers estimated from the skull left behind that the bear had a relatively small brain but a massive olfactory bulb sticking out the front of it, which would have processed smells.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2023
The barrier in the olfactory bulb, for example, acts differently and has a different protein composition than the barrier in the hippocampus, Rhea said.
—Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 20 June 2023
In experiments with rats in 2016 and 2018, the team showed that using electrodes to directly stimulate spots on the surface of the olfactory bulb generated patterns of neural activity deep in the bulb, in the neurons that passed messages on to other parts of the brain.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2022
The implant is also about the right size for the olfactory bulb on the edge of the brain.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2022
Placing electrodes on the olfactory bulb would be new territory.
—IEEE Spectrum, 17 Oct. 2022
Scent molecules activate olfactory receptors and signals travel up the olfactory nerves to the olfactory bulb, and then on to the rest of the brain via the olfactory tract.
—Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 16 Nov. 2019
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'olfactory bulb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1851, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Olfactory bulb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olfactory%20bulb. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
olfactory bulb
noun
: either of two small round structures projecting from the lower surface of the brain above the nasal cavity that transmit stimuli from the olfactory nerves to other areas of the brain for processing
Medical Definition
olfactory bulb
noun
: a bulbous anterior projection of the olfactory lobe that is the place of termination of the olfactory nerves
More from Merriam-Webster on olfactory bulb
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about olfactory bulb
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