Final answer:
The piriform cortex is the area in the brain that, with enough exposure during an olfactory learning experiment with rats, shows activation patterns that respond to specific odor sources. It is responsible for processing olfactory information and identifying odors based on past experiences.
Step-by-step explanation:
In an olfactory learning experiment with rats, it was found that with enough exposure, patterns of activation in the piriform cortex would respond to specific odor sources, such as banana alone versus banana + peppermint together. The piriform cortex is a critical area that processes olfactory information, along with the olfactory bulb, and it is part of the olfactory cortex where olfactory information is transmitted after being initially processed in the olfactory bulb. The piriform cortex is involved in identifying the specific odor and integrating this information with prior experience, which is crucial for the discrimination between similar and distinct odors.