olfactory nerve
Acronym:
OLN
The term olfactory nerve (OLN) refers to the very short first cranial nerve. Defined topologically and histologically, it consists of unmyelinated axons that project from main olfactory sensory neurons (OSNm) and accessory olfactory sensory neurons (OSNa) in olfactory epithelium (OLE) of the nasal cavity. Multiple tiny bundles of axons pass through the cribriform plate, the thin boney roof of the nasal cavity, into the main olfactory bulb (MOB) and accessory olfactory bulb (AOB).
In the human ( Buck-2013 ) and macaque ( Price-2004 ), they enter the ventral surface of the MOB. In the mouse ( Hof-2000, Franklin-2008 ), they envelop the MOB and enter the ventral, medial and lateral sides of it. In the rat ( Swanson-2004, Paxinos-2009b ).
In humans and macaques, where the olfactory tract is far more prominent than the fine short OLN, the term 'olfactory nerve' is commonly used in reference to the olfactory tract (oltr). As a long compact myelinated (white) structure, the oltr appears more like a 'real nerve', but it is not the first nerve in the olfactory system (OSY), which is a short, diffuse, unmyelinated.structure.
Functionally, the OLN is the primary receptor element of the olfactory system (OSY). Final 30 2025.
Also known as: first cranial nerve, Nerve I, olfactory fila, Fila olfactoriaNeuroNames ID : 32
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