Final answer:
The anterior olfactory nucleus is part of the olfactory system and processes olfactory information. The olfactory cortex then interprets the smells, which can trigger powerful emotional and memory responses. Smells are detected by olfactory sensory neurons when odorant molecules bind to receptors in the nose.
Step-by-step explanation:
The function of the anterior olfactory nucleus involves processing olfactory information received from the olfactory bulb. While the materials provided do not explicitly describe the anterior olfactory nucleus, they do detail the overarching olfactory system, which includes the anterior olfactory nucleus. Olfactory receptor neurons in the olfactory epithelium detect airborne molecules, which then bind to receptors and trigger an electrical signal. These signals are sent through the axons of the olfactory neurons via the olfactory tract to the olfactory bulb. Inside the olfactory bulb, signals are processed and then sent on to various brain regions, including the olfactory cortex.
The primary function of the olfactory cortex is to process and interpret smells relayed from the olfactory bulb, and further participate in emotional and memory processing due to its connections to the limbic system. The olfactory cortex is located in the inferior and medial areas of the temporal lobe and is unique among sensory systems for not requiring thalamic synapse before reaching the cerebral cortex, which makes smell a particularly potent trigger for memories and emotions.
Olfactory signals are stimulated when odorant molecules inhaled through the nose dissolve in the mucus of the olfactory epithelium and bind to proteins that transport them to the dendrites of the olfactory sensory neurons. There, they bind to receptors, which ultimately leads to graded membrane potentials that give rise to the perception of smell.