nose

Your Nose: Its Structure and Function

The nose is an integral part of the human body, both aesthetically and functionally. Responsible for a variety of processes, it has been integral in human evolution and has evolved along with the rest of the body.

The nose is made up of soft tissue, cartilage and bone and helps filter, warm and humidify the air we breathe. Most noses are broadly divided into three parts – the bridge, the tip and the nostrils. The bridge is the section between the eyes and the nasal cavity, and the tip is the end of the nose. The nostrils provide two openings for air to enter and exit the nose.

The human nose has a variety of functions, including:

• Breathing – The nose filters, warms and humidifies the air we breathe in.
• Smelling – The nose contains a complex array of receptors that help detect odours in the environment.
• Respiration – The nose helps to dry out and filter the air we breathe, helping us to expel varying levels of moisture when we exhale.
• Humidification – The nose helps to humidify the air, keeping the airways and other organs moist.
• Protection – The nose contains hairs and mucus that form a barrier for foreign particles that may be inhaled.
• Speech – The nose helps to shape the vowels and consonants of our speech, as the air passes through its structure.

The nose is a critically important organ, and its various functions help us interact with our environment in a unique way. One of the most ancient structures on the human body, it has been shaped by hundreds of thousands of years of evolution.