NOSE AND NASAL

CAVITY
Objectives:
☆describe the position and structure
☆functions of the structures
 NOSE
• A specialized organ at the entrance of the respiratory system that
consists of a visible external portion (external nose) and an internal
portion inside the skull (nasal cavity).
• Is made of hyaline cartilage covered with muscle and lined by a
mucous membrane.
• The frontal bones, nasal bones and maxillae form the bony
framework.
• The cartilaginous framework of the external nose consists of several
pieces of hyaline cartilage connected to each other and certain skull
bones by fibrous connective tissue.
Cartilaginous and Bony framework
 POSITION

• Nose is situated centrally in the face and is composed of skin, mucosa,

bone, cartilage and the supporting tissue.

• The nostrils (nares) are the openings into the nose and are the main
route of air entry into the respiratory system

• Behind each nostril lies a large cavity, the walls of which are formed
by several bones of the face.
 CONT…
• The medial wall is formed by the septum, a perpendicular sheet of
bone and cartilage is formed from the vomer and ethmoid bones and
also the cartilage forming the anterior part of the nose.

• The lateral walls are formed by the maxilla, the ethmoid bone and the
inferior conchae

• The posterior wall is formed by the posterior wall of the pharynx

 Functions of the nose
• Warming :the nasal mucosa is very vascular, and rapidly warms the air
flow.
• Filtering and cleaning :the hairs in the anterior nares particles,
mucus trap them and prevents drying then the cilia wafts the mucus
toward the throat where it is coughed up.
• Humidification :as air travels over the moist mucosa, it becomes
saturated with water vapour.
• Sense of smell : the nose is an organ of the sense of smell (olfaction).
Specialized receptors that detect smell are located in the root of the
nose in the area of the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bones and the
superior conchae.
The upper respiratory tract
 Bones forming the nasal cavity
• The roof is formed by the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone and
the sphenoid bone, frontal bone and nasal bones.

• The floor is formed by the roof of the mouth and consists of the hard
palate in front and the soft palate behind

• The hard palate is composed of maxilla and palatine bones, and the
soft palate consists of the smooth muscle.
Structure of the nasal cavity
BONES
Lateral wall of right nasal cavity