Olfactory tract
| Olfactory tract | |
|---|---|
Olfactory peduncle lying in olfactory sulcus and olfactory striae labelled (anterior at top) | |
| Details | |
| System | Olfactory system |
| Location | Brain |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | tractus olfactorius |
| NeuroNames | 283 |
| NeuroLex ID | birnlex_1663 |
| TA98 | A14.1.09.431 |
| TA2 | 5539 |
| FMA | 77626 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
The olfactory tract (olfactory peduncle or olfactory stalk) is a bilateral bundle of afferent nerve fibers from the mitral and tufted cells of the olfactory bulb that connects to several target regions in the brain, including the piriform cortex, amygdala, and entorhinal cortex. It is a narrow white band, triangular on coronal section, the apex being directed upward.
The term olfactory tract is a misnomer, as the olfactory peduncle is actually made up of the juxtaposition of two tracts, the medial olfactory tract (giving the medial and intermediate olfactory stria) and the lateral olfactory tract (giving the lateral and intermediate olfactory stria).[1] However, the existence of the medial olfactory tract (and consequently the medial stria) is controversial in primates (including humans).[2]
- ^ De Cannière, Gilles (January 2024). "The olfactory striae: A historical perspective on the inconsistent anatomy of the bulbar projections". Journal of Anatomy. 244 (1): 170–183. doi:10.1111/joa.13952. ISSN 0021-8782. PMC 10734660. PMID 37712100.
- ^ Stumpf, W.E.; Grant, L.D., eds. (23 July 1976). "Olfactory Projections to the Diencephalon". Anatomical Neuroendocrinology: Based on the International Conference on Neurobiology of CNS-Hormone Interactions, Chapel Hill, N.C., May 1974. S. Karger AG. pp. 30–39. doi:10.1159/000398021. ISBN 978-3-8055-2154-3.