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Table 3 Olfactory characteristics of dogs

From: Canine olfactory detection and its relevance to medical detection

Characteristics

Dog

Airflow

A sniff creates unique unidirectional laminar airflow patterns to transport environmental odorants to the olfactory epithelium [122]

Size of olfactory mucosa

95–126 cm2 (German Shepherd) [124]

Olfactory genes in genome

 > 1000; 80% functional receptor genes and 20% pseudogenes [125]

Amount of olfactory receptor cells (ORCs)

200–300 million in nasal cavity [58, 59]

Cilia per ORC

20 to 100 cilia per cell [58]

Extent, shape and position of olfactory bulb

Proportionally larger than in humans and prominently at the ventro-rostral area of the brain [126]