The specialized olfactory receptor neurons of the<unk>  are located in the olfactory mucosa of the upper parts of the nasal cavity. The<unk> s consist of a collection of many sensory nerve fibers that extend from the olfactory epithelium to the olfactory bulb, passing through the many openings of the cribriform plate, a sieve-like structure of the ethmoid bone. The sense of smell arises from the stimulation of receptors by small molecules in inspired air of varying spatial, chemical, and electrical properties that reach the nasal epithelium in the nasal cavity during inhalation. These stimulants are transduced into electrical activity in the olfactory neurons, which then transmit these impulses to the olfactory bulb and from there they reach the olfactory areas of the brain via the olfactory tract. The<unk>  is the shortest of the twelve cranial nerves and, similar to the optic nerve, does not emanate from the brainstem.
Olfactory nerve
Olfactory trigone
Olfactory tract
Ciliary ganglion
Oculomotor nerve
Optician
Stellate ganglion
Buccal branches of the facial nerve