RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Transduction diversity in olfaction. JF The Journal of Experimental Biology JO J. Exp. Biol. FD The Company of Biologists Ltd SP 1 OP 21 VO 194 IS 1 A1 Dionne, V E A1 Dubin, A E YR 1994 UL http://jeb.biologists.org/content/194/1/1.abstract AB Odors are powerful stimuli that can focus the attention, elicit behaviors (or misbehaviors) and even resurrect forgotten memories. These actions are directed by the central nervous system, but they depend upon the initial transduction of chemical signals by olfactory receptor neurons. Electrophysiological recordings suggest that the responses of olfactory receptor neurons to odors are more diverse than was initially believed, being mediated by effects on several different conductances. Both excitatory and inhibitory responses are produced by these effects and some, if not all, odors can affect more than one component of the membrane conductance. The extent of this diversity is reviewed here, and its impact on our understanding of odor discrimination is discussed.