#olfaction

All articles tagged with "olfaction"

A colorful x-ray image of a mouse nose, showing various pathways with purple, blue and green lines.

A Detailed Map of the Mouse Nose Is Rewriting How Scientists Think About Smell

Researchers have created a comprehensive map of mouse olfactory receptors, revealing that smell is organized far more precisely than previously believed.

Key Takeaways

Researchers mapped around 5.5 million neurons from more than 300 mice to chart olfactory receptor organization.
The study found smell receptors arranged in tight bands rather than randomly across the nasal cavity.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 29, 2026·via livescience.com

A Cat-Food Smell Study Suggests Feline “Picky Eating” May Be More About Novelty Than Taste

A small study found that cats ate substantially more when the smell associated with their food changed, suggesting that declining interest may reflect odor familiarity rather than simple fussiness.

Key Takeaways

A 12-cat study found that repeated exposure to the same food reduced intake.
Introducing a different smell, even without changing the edible food, boosted consumption.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 11, 2026·via newscientist.com