as i every so slowly trace the origin of categories from abstract to physical, i found there is a four part structure called the pallium which includes what becomes the hippocampus, in-between structures and the olfactory nerve.
so i’ve reached the top of the nasal cavity from the inside.
what does it do? ANYTHING related to categorizing? let’s look.
“it is generally assumed that it functions as a filter, as opposed to an associative circuit that has many inputs and many outputs. However, the olfactory bulb also receives “top-down” information from such brain areas as the amygdala, neocortex, hippocampus, locus coeruleus, and substantia nigra.
– discriminating among odors
– enhancing sensitivity of odor detection
– filtering out many background odors to enhance the transmission of a few select odors
– permitting higher brain areas involved in arousal and attention to modify the detection or the discrimination of odors.”