Role of Nostrils

A nostril is one of the nose’s two orifices. They allow air and other gases to enter and exit the nasal cavities. They contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates in birds and mammals. Their function is to warm the air during inhaling and to remove moisture during exhalation. Fish do not breathe through their noses, although they do have two (although cyclostomes have merged into one) tiny apertures for smelling, which are also known as nostrils.

In humans, the nasal cycle is the typical ultradian cycle in which the blood vessels in each nose get engorged and subsequently contract. The septum separates the nostrils. The septum can occasionally deviate, giving the appearance of one nostril being larger than the other. When the septum and columella are severely damaged, the two nostrils merge into a single bigger external orifice.

Humans, like other tetrapods, have two exterior nostrils (anterior nares) and two extra nostrils located inside the nasal cavity (posterior nares, posterior nasal apertures or choanae). Additionally, they connect the nose and throat (the nasopharynx), which aids in respiration. Though the aquatic ancestors of modern tetrapods had all four nostrils on the outside of the head, the nostrils for outgoing water (excurrent nostrils) migrated to the inside of the mouth, as demonstrated by the discovery of Kenichthys campbelli, a 395-million-year-old fossilised fish that demonstrates this migration in progress. It has two nostrils between its front teeth, which is analogous to an early stage of human embryos. If these do not fuse properly, a cleft palate results. Each external nostril has roughly 1,000 hair strands.

Humans can smell separate olfactory stimuli in their two nostrils and experience a perceptual competition similar to binocular rivalry when their two eyes receive two distinct signals.

The Procellariiformes are distinguishable from other birds by their noses having tubular extensions.

Role of nostrils

Respiration – The human nose is the first organ of the upper respiratory tract in the respiratory system. Its primary respiratory function is to provide and clean breathed air through heating, moisturising, and particle removal. Nasal fur traps large particles in the nostrils, preventing them from entering the lungs. 

Smell Sensation- The nostril on the human body is also a component of the olfactory system. It is made up of a cluster of specialised cells called olfactory receptor neurons that produce smell. In the upward nasal channel, the olfactory mucosa contains olfactory glands, a type of nasal gland that aids in olfaction. While the nasal conchae direct airflow to the olfactory zone, they frequently contribute to olfactory function. 

Speech – Speech is produced by the pressure in the lungs. Nasalization, or the process of altering airflow through the nostril, may aid in this process. The soft palate is lowered to form nasal vowels and consonants while allowing gases to escape from the nose and mouth. nostril airflow is occasionally utilised to produce click consonants, which are composed of a series of nasal clicks.

What is nostril breathing? 

There are two types of nostril breathing – right nostril breathing (RNB) and left nostril breathing (LNB). In RNB, the right nostril is closed while the left nostril is open. In LNB, the right nostril is closed while the left nostril is open.

Right nostril breathing (RNB)

Consider breathing via your right nostril (Pingala). Simply grab your right hand and, with your fingers outstretched, gently press your right index finger on your left nose. Maintain your remaining fingers straight and pointing upward toward the sky; the fingers serve as antennae for the “cosmic” energy that surrounds us all. (Alternatively, if poking your fingers up in front of all your buddies isn’t the best idea, use any finger to cover the side of the nose.)

Inhale slowly via your right nostril with a long, steady, deep breath. Then, exhale long, slowly, and completely from the right nostril, just as gently. Relax your body and sense the energy gently and beautifully building in your body, reviving it.

Left nostril breathing (LNB)

The left nostril is where the ida (feminine) nadi terminates. Breathing through the left nostril activates our bodies “feminine’ (emotional and creative) features. By contrast, right nostril breathing activates the more ‘masculine’ functions of the left brain via the pingala nadi.

Conclusion 

The nose is divided into two cavities by a cartilage septum. Externally, these holes are referred to as nares or nostrils. The palatine bone forms the roof of the mouth and the floor of the nose; a flap of tissue, the soft palate, extends back into the nasopharynx, the nasal portion of the throat, and is pressed upward during swallowing, effectively closing off the nasopharynx and preventing food from becoming lodged in the back of the nose.