Luktepitel

Luktepitel is a term used in some linguistic contexts to refer to the olfactory epithelium, the specialized sensory mucosa within the nasal cavity responsible for the sense of smell. In humans, it lines the superior part of the nasal cavity, covering the superior turbinate and the upper portion of the nasal septum, close to the cribriform plate where olfactory nerve fibers pass into the brain.

Anatomy and cells: The luktepitel is a pseudostratified columnar epithelium that contains three main cell types: olfactory receptor neurons, supporting sustentacular cells, and basal cells (including horizontal and globose basal cells). The dendritic cilia and nonmotile cilia of the olfactory neurons extend into a mucus layer produced by sustentacular cells, enabling contact with odorant molecules.

Function: The olfactory receptor neurons detect volatile odorants dissolved in the mucus. Binding of odorants to receptors activates G-protein–coupled signaling, leading to action potentials transmitted via the olfactory nerve to the olfactory bulb. The mucus contains binding proteins and enzymes that aid odorant processing and termination of signaling.

Regeneration and clinical relevance: The luktepitel undergoes continual turnover, driven by basal cells that can proliferate and differentiate into mature olfactory neurons and supporting cells. Damage from trauma, chemical exposure, or infections can impair smell (hyposmia or anosmia). Viral infections, including some caused by coronaviruses, can specifically affect this epithelium, contributing to transient olfactory loss.

Terminology: In English-language anatomy, the standard term is olfactory epithelium; luktepitel appears in some non-English sources as a direct translation. See also olfactory receptor neuron, olfactory bulb, nasal mucosa.