Final answer:
The olfactory mucosa is located in the olfactory epithelium at the top of the nasal cavity, where olfactory receptor neurons detect odors and not in the paranasal sinuses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The olfactory mucosa is not located in the paranasal sinuses. It is actually found in a specific area of the nasal cavity known as the olfactory epithelium. This specialized olfactory region spans approximately 5 cm² in humans and contains the olfactory receptor neurons vital for the sense of smell. The olfactory epithelium is situated at the top part of the nasal cavity, above the nares (nostrils) and the anterior region of the nasal passages, where it is lined with mucous membranes containing sebaceous glands and hair follicles that block debris.
Each olfactory receptor neuron has dendrites that extend through the mucous layer of the cavity. Here, they encounter odorant molecules in the air we breathe, which dissolve in the mucus and bind to receptor proteins, resulting in the production of graded membrane potentials. This ultimately leads to the generation of neural signals that are sent to the olfactory bulb at the tip of the frontal lobe, and then transmitted to other regions of the brain such as the limbic system and the primary olfactory cortex.