Chromatographic Separation of Odorants by the Nose: Retention Times Measured across in vivo Olfactory Mucosa

The column of a standard gas chromatograph was replaced with in vivo frog olfactory sac. The wide range of relative retention times as measured across the olfactory mucosa for 15 different odorants supports the concept of a chromatographic separation along the mucosa as a mechanism for distinguishing different odorants.