NOSE AND SINUSES

The human nose is more than just a flap of flesh and cartilage on
the front of the face. Besides being part of the respiratory system
that inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide, the nose also
contributes to other important functions, such as hearing and
tasting.

Size and Shape

Human noses can have a wide array of shapes and sizes due to
genetics and injuries. Men generally have larger noses than
women, researcher say. According to the Guinness Book of
World Records, the largest human nose on a living person
belongs to Mehmet Ozyurek of Turkey. His nose is 3.6 inches
(8.8 centimeters) long from the bridge to the tip

Function
The two openings in the nose are called nostrils or napes. They
lead to two nasal cavities that are separated by the septum, a
wall of cartilage. Inside the face is an intricate system of canals
and pockets of air called sinus cavities. Sinus cavities span all
the way to the back of the skull, right above the oral cavity,
within the checkbones and between the eyes and brows. All of
these areas are responsible, at least in part, for breathing,
smelling, tasting and immune system defense.
The human nose can smell over 1 trillion scents, according to
researchers. The nose smells with the olfactory cleft, which is
the roof of the nasal cavity. It is right next to the “smelling” part
of the brain, which consists of the olfactory bulb and fossa. This
part of the nose has many nerve endings that carry smell
sensations to the brain according to the American Rhinologic
Society.
The nasal passageways on either side of the nose open into the
choana an then into a chamber called the nasopharynx, which is
the upper part of the throat. This chamber opens into the
oropharynx, the throat area behind the mouth. When air is
inhaled through the nostrils, it travels through the nasal
passages, the choana, the nasopharynx, the oropharynx and the
voice box and ends up in the lungs. Basically, in the respiratory
system, the nose is a passageway of air.

Snot and boogers

The nose is also the first line of defense against sickness. The
nose is lined with fine, hair like projections known as cilia. The
sinuses are lined with mucus-making cells. The mucus (or
“snot”) keeps the nose from drying out. Together cilia and snot
collect dust, bacteria and other debris before they can enter the
rest of the body.
Other Senses
Without the nose, the body wouldn’t be able to taste food nearly
as well. What humans call “taste” is actually a mixture of
different sensations. One of the sensations is smell. When food
is eaten, the nose smells the food and sends information to the
mouth in a process called olfactory referral. This is why those
with a cold or other nose condition finds that food lacks flavor
The nose also plays a role in hearing. The nasopharynx is
flanked on either side by Eustachian tubes. These tubes connect
the nasopharynx to the middle ear. The nasopharynx fills the
middle ear with air, equalizing air pressure in the ear with the
atmosphere around it, which is an important part of hearing
properly, according to the American Rhinologic Society.

Disease and conditions

Since the nose is complex, there are many things that can go
wrong. The most common ailments are
 Difficulty breathing through the nose
 Nasal obstruction
 Nasal allergies
 Chronic sinus infection
 Nasal polyps
 Poor sense of smell

The most common cause of the loss of sense of smell

  Viral infection
 Nasal polyps
 Tobacco use
 Head trauma
 Exceedingly rare instances
 Tumors
 Some loss of smell also occurs during the natural aging
process, much akin to visual and hearing loss
Many problems besides the common cold can affect the nose.
They include
 Deviated Septum – a shifting of the wall that divides the
nasal cavity into halves
 Nosebleeds
 Rhinitis – inflammation of the nose and sinuses sometimes
caused by allergies. The main symptom is a runny nose.
 Nasal fractures, also known as a broken nose