Evoked-potential measurement of olfactory thresholds of laboratory mice (Mus musculus) to carboxylic acids

Abstract

Evoked potentials recorded by implanted electrodes were used to measure olfactory thresholds of unanesthetized laboratory mice (Mus musculus) to aliphatic carboxylic acids (formic acid, acetic acid, n-propionic acid, n-butyric acid, n-valeric acid, and n-caproic acid). The thresholds conformed to the typical mammalian pattern, sensitivity to carboxylic acids increasing with increasing chain length. The highest threshold was that to formic acid, 7·1011 molecules/cm3 of air; that to caproic acid was lowest, 1.1·108 molecules/cm3.