olfactory tract
Acronym: oltr
The term olfactory tract refers to a bundle of nerve fibers that connect the the main olfactory bulb with the anterior olfactory nucleus, olfactory tubercle, and olfactory cortex. It also connects the accessory olfactory bulb centrally, but solely to cortical parts of the amygdala ( Buck-2013 ). Its axons, identified histologically, are of the second neurons in the olfactory system.
      The tract originates on the lateral aspect of the olfactory bulbs. In the human and the macaque it runs in the olfactory peduncle close to the anterior olfactory nucleus and onto the ventral posterior surface of the frontal lobe. There it passes lateral to the olfactory tubercle around the junction between the frontal and temporal lobes onto the anteromedial part of the limbic lobe where it overlies the piriform cortex and the amygdala ( Price-2004 ).
      In the rat ( Swanson-2004 ) and the mouse ( Hof-2000 ) it runs directly from the lateral aspect of the olfactory bulbs to overlie the anterior olfactory nucleus and the piriform cortex lateral to the olfactory tubercle and thence to the cortical amygdalar nucleus. It is part of the olfactory system, which mediates the sensation of smell. Most authors continue to refer to the structure as the 'lateral olfactory tract', though the medial olfactory tract and the intermediate olfactory tract to which it was originally contrasted are no longer deemed to exist ( Price-1990 ). Updated 13 Jun 2024.

Also known as: lateral olfactory stria, lateral olfactory tract, Tractus olfactorius lateralisNeuroNames ID : 284


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