Final answer:
In the vertebrate olfactory system, the olfactory receptor cells synapse with neurons in the olfactory bulb of the brain, which is located on the ventral surface of the frontal lobe in the cerebrum. From the olfactory bulb, the signals travel to various brain regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the vertebrate olfactory system, the olfactory receptor cells have one end in the olfactory epithelium, and the other end makes synapses with neurons in the olfactory bulb of the brain. The olfactory bulb is a central target of the first cranial nerve and is located on the ventral surface of the frontal lobe in the cerebrum. From the olfactory bulb, the olfactory signals travel directly to the olfactory cortex, frontal cortex, thalamus, amygdala, and other brain regions.