Sensory And Visual System Anatomy And Physiology Practice Test

The olfactory system differs from other senses in that its signals can reach cortex without a mandatory thalamic relay. Odorant information travels from receptors in the nose to the olfactory bulb, and from there mitral and tufted cells project directly to primary olfactory cortex areas like the piriform and entorhinal cortex, with additional limbic connections. This direct pathway provides cortex access to smell without first synapsing in the thalamus. There are other routes that involve the thalamus (for example, to influence higher-order processing via the mediodorsal nucleus and orbitofrontal cortex), but none of these are obligatory. So the statement that there is no obligatory thalamic relay, and that olfactory information can reach cortex without a mandatory relay, best describes the pathway.