Specific anosmia to geraniol in mice.

The ability of Swiss mice to detect geraniol, menthol, benzaldehyde, and salicylaldehyde was tested by an active avoidance paradigm. Fourteen animals with specific anosmia to geraniol were obtained. Of these, seven were also unable to detect phenylethyl alcohol. Both compounds have similar odor quality in humans and are believed to stimulate the same receptors. The data on the specifically anosmic mice suggest that these structurally dissimilar compounds are detected by the same receptors in mice.