抄録
The first step in the detection of odorant molecules by olfactory receptor neurons consists in the binding and activation of receptor proteins borne by the dendritic membrane. First, we give a deterministic description of the kinetics of this two-reaction process. Second, we present a stochastic generalization which provides the mean and variance of the steady -state number of activated receptors and the partial differential equation that governs the transient state. The significance of the model is discussed in the context of experimental and modeling investigations of olfactory transduction.
