The sense of smell in mammals generally develops faster than the other senses, and newborn animals often show responses to odors before hearing or vision are fully developed. Many senses, including smell, are extremely dependent on early experience to develop properly. It is not clear how the chemosensory experience of smell occurs before birth to provide that necessary early experience. This project uses anatomical techniques to examine the olfactory system during development, and how anatomical changes occur when various techniques are used to block odors. Mechanisms for such changes could include sensory deprivation, deprivation of neural activity, or trophic factors. The novel approach here of odor restriction allows a direct comparison to results from nose occlusion, which is the technique usually used. These studies will have an impact on both chemosensory and developmental neuroscience, and the strong involvement of undergraduates will have an impact on their careers.
