Anatomy and Physiology of the Nose and Throat

What’s the nostril?

Your nostril lets you breathe and to odor. The internal a part of the nostril is above the roof of the mouth. The nostril is made up of:

Exterior meatus. Triangular-shaped projection within the heart of the face.

Exterior nostrils. Two chambers divided by the septum.

Septum. Made up primarily of cartilage and bone and coated by mucous membranes. The cartilage additionally offers form and assist to the outer a part of the nostril.

Nasal passages. Passages which are lined with mucous membranes and tiny hairs (cilia) that assist to filter the air.

Sinuses. 4 pairs of air-filled cavities, additionally lined with mucous membranes.

Facet view.

What are sinuses?

The sinuses are cavities, or air-filled pockets, within the cranium and face that drain out by way of the nasal passages. Just like the nasal passage, the sinuses are lined with mucous membranes. There are 4 several types of sinuses:

Ethmoid sinus. This sinus is positioned contained in the face, across the space of the bridge of the nostril between the eyes. It’s current at delivery and continues to develop.

Maxillary sinus. This sinus is positioned contained in the face, across the space of the cheeks. It is usually current at delivery and continues to develop.

Frontal sinus. This sinus is positioned contained in the face, within the space of the brow. It doesn’t develop till round 7 years of age.

Sphenoid sinus. This sinus is positioned deep within the face, behind the nostril. It doesn’t sometimes develop till the teenager years.

What’s the throat?

The throat is a ring-like muscular tube. It’s the passageway for air, meals, and liquid. It additionally helps in forming speech. The throat is made up of:

Tonsils and adenoids. Each are made up of lymph tissue and are positioned in the back of the throat. The adenoids are positioned all the way in which in the back of the nostril on the very high of the throat. Adenoids shrink away by early maturity. The tonsils are at the back of the mouth on both facet of the throat. They shield in opposition to an infection however have minimal operate after childhood.

Voice field (larynx). The larynx is a cylindrical grouping of cartilage, muscular tissues, and tender tissue that incorporates the vocal cords. The vocal cords are the higher opening into the windpipe (trachea), the passageway to the lungs.

Epiglottis. A flap of sentimental tissue positioned simply above the vocal cords. The epiglottis folds down over the vocal cords to stop meals and irritants from coming into the lungs.

On-line Medical Reviewer:
Dan Brennan MD

On-line Medical Reviewer:
Raymond Kent Turley BSN MSN RN

On-line Medical Reviewer:
Sumana Jothi MD

Date Final Reviewed:
9/1/2023