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Memory Stinks
13 June 2014

Memory Stinks

Catching a whiff of a particular brand of perfume always reminds me of my mum. It’s not unusual for our sense of smell to be linked with particular memories of places, people or things. Even insects show a strong link between their olfactory sense (smell), learning and memory. The collection of brain cells thought responsible for this link in insects are called mushroom bodies, pictured here in the brain of a fruit fly. Forming the mushroom ‘cap’ are the bodies of Kenyon cells – a type of nerve cell (stained red) – with the tightly bundled cell axons [nerve projections] comprising the stalks (shown in yellow). At the stalk’s base the axons fan out where they form connections with other parts of the brain. Studies of this area have been particularly important for understanding the genetic basis of mushroom body function and the wider evolutionary foundation of olfactory learning and memory.

Written by Mary-Clare Hallsworth

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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