The Anatomy of the Nasal Cavity.pptx

The Anatomy of the Nasal Cavity by Hridoy Kumer Dey

1. The Anatomy of the Nasal Cavity

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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