The epithelium lining the upper rear portion of the nose. The epithelium on each side of the nose contains roughly 15 million olfactory receptor cells.
ol-FAK-tore-ee ep-e-THEEL-e-um Neurons specialized to detect odors, in a small patch of tissue high in the nostrils. 646
a sheet of cells lining part of the nasal passages that contains olfactory receptors
The specialized skin within the nasal cavity that contains the receptors for the sense of smell.
The olfactory epithelium is a specialized epithelial tissue inside the nasal cavity that is involved in smell. In humans, it measures about 1 inch wide by 2 inches long (about 2 cm by 5 cm) and lies on the roof of the nasal cavity about 3 inches (about 7 cm) above and behind the nostrils. The olfactory epithelium is the part of the olfactory system directly responsible for detecting odors.