Meaning & use
olfactory bulb
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablebiology
A small structure at the front of the brain that receives signals from the nose and begins processing smells.
Grammar: Countable: there are two, one on each side of the brain, so the plural is olfactory bulbs.
Patterns
- the olfactory bulb of something
- signals to the olfactory bulb
Odor molecules trigger nerve cells that send signals to the olfactory bulb.
Damage to the olfactory bulb can cause a loss of the sense of smell.
The olfactory bulb is closely linked to the parts of the brain that store memories.
Word forms
| plural | olfactory bulbs |
|---|
Common combinations
- human olfactory bulb
- The human olfactory bulb is smaller than a dog's.
- damage the olfactory bulb
- A head injury can damage the olfactory bulb.
- olfactory bulb cells
- Researchers studied olfactory bulb cells in mice.
- signals reach the olfactory bulb
- Signals reach the olfactory bulb within a fraction of a second.
Synonyms and how they differ
- smell center
- Smell center is an informal, non-scientific phrase for the brain region involved, and is less precise than olfactory bulb.
- olfactory system
- The olfactory system is the whole smell network including nose, nerves and brain, while the olfactory bulb is just one part.
Word family
Commonly confused: olfactory bulb or auditory?
olfactory bulb vs auditory
Auditory relates to hearing, while olfactory relates to smell.
Practice
Which sense does the olfactory bulb mainly help with?
Choose one answer.
Olfactory means relating to smell, and the bulb processes smell signals from the nose. Sight, touch and hearing are handled by other structures.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “olfactory bulb”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.