How many genes comprise the odor receptor gene family?

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How many genes comprise the odor receptor gene family?

Odor detection relies on a very large gene family of odorant receptors in the genome. In humans this family comprises about a thousand gene loci, spread across the genome. Of these, only a subset are actually functional and expressed in olfactory neurons—roughly 350 receptor genes are active, while the rest are pseudogenes due to mutations. So the family as a whole includes around 1,000 gene sequences, with about 350 contributing to odor detection in most individuals. This large, mostly nonfunctional reservoir explains why we have a broad but finite set of receptors: the active receptors are what enable us to discriminate many different smells, while the many extra loci represent historical duplications and nonfunctional copies.

Odor detection relies on a very large gene family of odorant receptors in the genome. In humans this family comprises about a thousand gene loci, spread across the genome. Of these, only a subset are actually functional and expressed in olfactory neurons—roughly 350 receptor genes are active, while the rest are pseudogenes due to mutations. So the family as a whole includes around 1,000 gene sequences, with about 350 contributing to odor detection in most individuals. This large, mostly nonfunctional reservoir explains why we have a broad but finite set of receptors: the active receptors are what enable us to discriminate many different smells, while the many extra loci represent historical duplications and nonfunctional copies.

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