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Note added at 21 minutos (2009-06-05 18:44:04 GMT)
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The olfactory mucosa is located in the upper region of the nasal cavity and is made up of the olfactory epithelium and the underlying lamina propria, connective tissue containing fibroblasts, blood vessels, Bowman's glands and bundles of fine axons from the olfactory neurons (Moran, 1982).

The mucus protects the olfactory epithelium and allows odors to dissolve so that they can be detected by olfactory receptor neurons. Electron microscopy studies show that Bowman's glands contain cells with large secretory vesicles (Frisch, 1967). The exact composition of the secretions from Bowman's glands is unclear, but there is evidence that Bowman's glands do not produce odorant binding protein (Tegoni, 2000).

In vertebrates, the olfactory epithelium consists of a three basic cell types: bipolar olfactory receptor neurons; sustentacular cells, a type of supporting cell; and basal cells, the stem cells that continuously give rise to new olfactory receptor neurons and sustentacular cells (Schwob, 2002).

Cells in the olfactory mucosa have been shown to have a degree of plasticity, and hold potential for therapeutic applications (Schwob, 2002).

Such cells have been used in clinical trials for adult stem cell therapeutic treatments, and successfully harvested for future applications. Eskitis Institute for Cell and Molecular Therapies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olfactory_mucosa

10.
Anatomía y fisiología del sistema olfativo primario Como se mencionó, además del epitelio respiratorio, la nariz contiene el epitelio olfativo, ...
books.google.com.ar/books?isbn=089281473X... -



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Note added at 24 minutos (2009-06-05 18:46:32 GMT)
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La nariz es el órgano donde reside el sentido del olfato. En el epitelio olfativo se encuentra la pituitaria amarilla, constituida por un grupo de células nerviosas con pelos microscópicos llamados cilios. Estos están recubiertos de receptores sensibles a las moléculas del olor. Hay unos 20 tipos distintos de receptores, cada uno de los cuales se encarga de una clase determinada de moléculas de olor. Estas células establecerán sinapsis con las neuronas de los bulbos olfatorios, que mandarán las señales al cerebro.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nariz

olfactory epithelium
n.
Pseudostratified epithelium that contains olfactory, receptor, and nerve cells whose axons connect with the olfactory bulb of the brain.
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/olfactory ep...


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Note added at 49 minutos (2009-06-05 19:12:03 GMT)
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The nasal mucosa rests within the roof of the nasal cavity. It can be found along both sides of the nasal septum. This is where the olfactory cells are located. The glandular goblet cells which surround the olfactory cells help to provide the necessary moisture for effective olfactory cell function. In between the supporting columnar cells there are the cell bodies of the bipolar olfactory cells. Olfactory hairs are the sensitive segment of the receptor cell, which is created by the dendrite ends of the free ends of each olfactory cell. These ends are unmyelinated and are quite responsive each time airborne molecules make their way into the nasal cavity.

There are in fact, numerous neural segments which in turn create the sensory pathway of olfaction. It begins with the unmyelinated axons of the olfactory cells, which conjoin to create the olfactory nerves. The olfactory nerves travel along, through the foramina of the cribriform plate where they finally come to and end in the olfactory bulbs, which are created by grey and white matter.

http://images.google.com.ar/imgres?imgurl=http://www.medical...