How neurons may compute: the case of insect sexual pheromone discrimination

Abstract

Recognition of pheromone scent by male insects probably depends on analyzing the blend's composition in terms of relative concentrations of major and minor molecular components. Based on anatomical, physiological and behavioral data concerning certain moth species and the cockroach, we propose a simple, biologically plausible neural circuit which is able to perform this task reliably. The model employs oscillations as a detecting device. This principle is easily generalized to other systems. As a computational device, ratio detection may find applications in a variety of biological situations, e.g. in the olfactory system of all animals.