The Anatomy of the Nasal Cavity by Hridoy Kumer Dey

1. The Anatomy of the
Nasal Cavity

3. The nasal cavity consists of all the bones, tissues, blood vessels
and nerves that make up the interior portion of the nose. The
most important functions of the nasal cavity include warming and
humidifying the air as you breathe and acting as a barrier for the
immune system to keep harmful microbes from entering the
body.

4. Anatomy
The inside of the nose, including the bones, cartilage and
other tissue, blood vessels and nerves, all the way back
posteriorly to the nasopharynx, is called the nasal cavity.
It is considered part of the upper respiratory tract due to
its involvement in both inspiration and exhalation.

6. The Vestibule
The most anterior portion of the nasal cavity is called the
vestibule. The exterior nares, or nostrils lead into this
portion of the nasal cavity which is essentially just a
short passageway lined with hair that leads into the
respiratory region of the nasal cavity.

7. The Respiratory Region
The respiratory region makes up the largest portion of the
nasal cavity. The specialized tissue in this area functions
to aid in the respiratory process. This part of the nasal
cavity is lined with ciliated pseudo-stratified epithelium
and mucus-secreting goblet cells.
Ciliated pseudo-stratified epithelium is a type of tissue
that has tiny hairs (cilia) that project out of it and move
back and forth to sweep mucus out of the respiratory tract.
The goblet cells secrete the mucus

9. The Olfactory Region
The apex (uppermost pyramidal area) of the nasal cavity
contains all of the receptors and cells necessary for
olfaction, or your sense of smell.
The Nasal Septum
The nasal septum is the wall in the middle of the nasal
respiratory cavity. It is made up of the septal cartilage,
the vomer bone, and the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid
bone. The septal cartilage sits on top of the vomer bone and
in front of the ethmoid bone, which it joins further back.

10. Bones
There are 12 bones that contribute to the structure of the nasal cavity. They
are the nasal bone, maxilla, sphenoid, vomer, palatine, lacrimal, and ethmoid
bones. The first four bones listed are paired (two on each side) The ethmoid
bone makes up the largest portion of the nasal cavity.
The Turbinates
Inside the nasal cavity are three curved shelves of bone called turbinates or
nasal conchae. They project from the lateral walls of the cavity and are called
the superior, middle and inferior turbinates. The space between the turbinates
is called the meatus. The superior turbinate projects from the ethmoid bone and
is somewhat separate from the other two turbinates.
Nerves
There are many nerves that are involved in the function of the nasal cavity.
Some of the most notable include the olfactory nerve, nasopalatine nerve,
trigeminal nerve, and nasociliary nerve.

11. Blood Vessels
The nasal cavity has a vast and complicated blood supply. Most of the vessels
that supply the nasal cavity branch off from the carotid artery and include the
anterior ethmoidal artery, posterior ethmoidal artery, sphenopalatine artery,
tgreater palatine artery, superior labial artery, and lateral nasal arteries.
These arteries form connections with each other called anastomoses. The
blood vessels in the nasal cavity are essential to the function of warming and
humidification of the air you breathe. Blood is carried away from the nasal
cavity via a network of veins that drain into the pterygoid plexus, facial vein, or
cavernous sinus. Anatomical differences may be found in the blood vessels that
supply and drain the nasal cavities. For example, some individuals may be born
with nasal veins that join with the sagittal sinus