Nerve endings that act as the receptors for the sense of smell are called?

• A. Olfactory receptors
• B. Gustatory receptors
• C. Photoreceptors
• D. Mechanoreceptors

Answer: (A)

Smell starts with olfactory receptors, specialized nerve endings located in the nasal cavity’s olfactory epithelium. These receptors bind airborne odor molecules and convert that chemical information into electrical signals that travel along the olfactory nerve to the brain. They’re a type of chemoreceptor tuned to detect a wide range of odors, with signals relayed first to the olfactory bulb and then to higher brain areas involved in smell.

This is different from gustatory receptors, which are in taste buds and detect dissolved tastants; photoreceptors, which are in the retina and detect light; and mechanoreceptors, which respond to mechanical forces like touch, pressure, or vibration.