| Abstract: | Evidence that chronic odor exposure alters mitral cell morphologyin young rats is reviewed. The functional origin of the mitralcell alteration is discussed in conjunction with the developmentof the olfactory bulb. It is concluded that odor exposure inyoung rats can alter the mitral cell layer in spatially selectivezones. Mitral cell alteration (primarily measured as penkaryaldiminution) appears to be a consequence of reduced stimulationand may be related to other activity-dependent ontogenetic effects.Chronic odor exposure provides an approach by which both spatialcoding of odor quality and functional development in the mammalianolfactory bulb can be examined. |
