Topic: tufted cells

Why does the olfactory bulb contain two projection neuron populations? Called mitral and tufted cells (MCs and TCs), both sample receptor input at glomeruli but lie in different bulb layers, project to different regions of piriform cortex and form parallel circuits wherein TCs interact mainly with the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), and MCs with piriform cortex (PC) proper. Experiments have revealed that (1) MCs are primarily driven by TCs, perhaps why (2) MC responses come later in the sniff cycle than TCs; (3) MCs receive excitatory cortical feedback from the AON; and (4) MC responses are