Smell May Be Possible Without Olfactory Bulbs

A study identifies five women who have a functioning sense of smell despite an apparent lack of olfactory bulbs—the region of the brain that processes odors.

Written byJef Akst

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Some women who lack olfactory bulbs seem to be able to smell without a problem, according to a study published today (November 6) in Neuron. The finding is a surprise to neuroscientists, who have considered the brain structures to be the sites of scent processing.

When odors enter the nose and trigger chemical receptors there, electrical signals travel to the olfactory bulbs of the brain, where clusters of nerves called glomeruli process the smell’s signal. Without olfactory bulbs, a person should be unable to process odors, researchers had assumed.

In a study of healthy, left-handed women, neuroscientist Noam Sobel of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and colleagues happened to identify two women who appeared to lack olfactory bulbs. But when they conducted an odor test, the women showed no impairments to their sense of smell.

Turning to MRI scans of more than 1,000 ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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