Microvillous olfactory sensory neurons

Microvillous olfactory sensory neurons. Microvillous olfactory sensory neurons are cells that sense smells and bear microscopic protrusions to increase their surface area. They are often found on the surface of the olfactory epithelium. 

Fig. 1 Molecular neuroanatomy of the zebrafish olfactory epithelium, a The zebrafish olfactory rosette, b A section of the olfactory rosette hybridized with an olfactory marker protein (OMP) complementary RNA probe. Dark signals represent ciliated olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the olfactory epithelium (OE). c Three types of olfactory sensory neurons in fish, d Distinct locations and molecular signatures of ciliated and microvillous OSNs. The ciliated OSNs locate in a...

In most mammalian species, two functionally distinct classes of chemicals (odorants and pheromones) are detected and processed through anatomically segregated neural pathways the main olfactory system and the vomeronasal (accessory olfactory) system (Buck 2000 Mombaerts 2004). Volatile odorants are received by a large repertoire of ORs expressed on ciliated OSNs in the OE and the information is transmitted to the main OB. By contrast, pheromones are mostly received by two families of vomeronasal receptors (VIRs and V2Rs) expressed on microvillous sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ that project their axons to the accessory OB. 

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