Structure of Nose

The human nose is the most protruding part of the face. It bears the nostrils and is the first organ of the respiratory system. It is also the principal organ in the olfactory system. The shape of the nose is determined by the nasal bones and the nasal cartilages, including the nasal septum which separates the nostrils and divides the nasal cavity into two. On average the nose of a male is larger than that of a female. 

The nose has an important function in breathing. The nasal mucosa lining the nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses carries out the necessary conditioning of inhaled air by warming and moistening it. Another major function of the nose is olfaction, the sense of smell. The area of olfactory epithelium in the upper nasal cavity contains specialized olfactory cells responsible for this function.

The nose is also involved in the function of speech. Nasal vowels and nasal consonants are produced in the process of nasalization. The hollow cavities of the paranasal sinuses act as sound chambers that modify and amplify speech and other vocal sounds.

What is Nose?

Is a part of the respiratory system. It is the primary organ of smell and functions as an important respiratory organ in the body. Besides, it is also involved in functions such as tasting. The shape of the nose is due to the bones and cartilages. The nasal septum separates the nostrils and divides the nasal cavity into two.

Structure of nose:

Several bones and cartilages make up the bony cartilaginous framework of the nose and the internal structure. The nose is also made up of types of soft tissues such as skin, epithelia, mucous membrane, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. In the skin, there are sebaceous glands and in the mucous membrane, there are nasal glands. The bones and cartilage provide strong protection for the internal structures of the nose. Several muscles are involved in the movements of the nose.

The structure of the nose is explained as follows:

• Bone: The hard bridge at the top of your nose is made of bone.

• Cartilage: The upper cartilage provides support to the sides of the nose. The lower cartilage adds width and height to the nose. It provides shape to the nostrils and nose tip.

• Nasal cavity: It is the hallow space through which air flows.

• Hair and cilia: Hair and cilia tiny hair-like structures inside your nose trap dirt and particles. Then they move those particles toward your nostrils, where can be sneezed out or wiped away.

• Septum: The septum divides the inside of the nose into two chambers. It is a thin wall made of bones and cartilage.

• Mucus Membrane: The mucus membrane lines the nose, sinuses, and throat. It moistens and warms the air we breathe in. It also forms a sticky mucus that prevents dust and other small particles from the nose.

• Sinuses: we have four pairs of sinuses. These air-filled pockets are connected to nasal cavities. They produce the mucus that keeps the nose moist.

• Turbinates: There are three pairs of turbinates located along the sides of both nasal cavities. These folds inside the nose help warm and moisten air after we breathe it in and help with nasal drainage.

Structure of nose diagram:

Functions of the nose:

Following are the important functions of the nose:

• Sense of smell: The inhaled air comes in contact with the olfactory epithelium and the nerve fibers extending from the olfactory receptors accumulate the molecules containing the odour to send the signals to the olfactory bulbs through the receptors. These signals are carried to the olfactory region of the brain and are decoded so that the smell is identified.

• Sense of taste: While chewing, the food releases certain chemicals that travel up to the nose and activate the olfactory receptors inside the nose. They work in coordination with the taste buds to identify the actual flavour of the food.

• Helps in Inhalation: In the respiratory system, the human nose is the very first organ of the upper respiratory tract. Its primary respiratory purpose is to provide and clean inhaled air by heating, moisturizing, and removing particulates. Large particles are caught in the nostrils by nasal fur, which prevents them from entering the lungs.

• Speech: The lungs’ pressure is used to generate speech. Nasalization, or the process of adjusting airflow via the human body nose, may help with this. While enabling gasses to pass from both the nose and the mouth, the soft palate is lowered to create nasal vowels and consonants. Nasal airflow is sometimes used to obtain click consonants, which are a set of nasal clicks.

• Purification of inhaled air: The walls of the nasal cavity are covered with hair or cilia that trap the dust and harmful particles and purify the inhaled air. The back and forth movement of cilia helps in moving the dust particles to the throat where they are swallowed or are excreted through the nasal cavity.

Conclusion: 

The nose is the prominent structure between the eyes that serves as the entrance to the respiratory tract and contains the olfactory function. It provides air for respiration and serves the sense of smell.  It cleans itself of foreign debris extracted from inhalation. Several bones and cartilages make up the bony cartilaginous framework of the nose and the internal structure. The nose is also made up of types of soft tissues such as skin, epithelia, mucous membrane, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels.