Abstract:Odor perception is one of the most complex systems within the human sensory system.The relationship between the molecular chemical structure and odor characteristics is always a research hotspot of subjects including chemistry,neuroscience,and food science.This paper systematically reviewed the research progress on molecular structure and odor,such as theoretical basis,research methods,key findings,and application prospect.The biological basis of olfactory perception was first introduced,and then the association mechanism of the molecular physicochemical（e.g.,functional group,molecular weight,and configuration）and odor characteristics（e.g.,odor quality,intensity,and threshold）was analyzed carefully.Moreover,the application of traditional experimental methods and modern computational prediction methods（e.g.,quantitative structure activity relationship（QSAR）model,machine learning,and deep learning）was summarized.The relationship between structure and odor of different kinds of molecules（e.g.,musk,fruity,and woody）was also reviewed,and the limitations of the current research and the future directions were also discussed.