Anatomy and Physiology of the Nose

Question 1

Function of the nose

Answer 1

Airway in respiration
Warming of inspired air
Humidification
Filtration of large particulate matter
Mucus production, trapping and ciliary clearance of particulate matter
Immune protection
Olfaction
Drainage of middle ear via eustachian tube
Drainage of paranasal sinuses and nasolacrimal duct
Voice modification

Question 2

Who are obligate nasal breathers?

Answer 2

Neonates

Question 3

What epithelium is found in the nasal cavity?

Answer 3

Respiratory ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells

Question 4

How are large particulate matter filtered in the nose?

Answer 4

Coarse hairs (vibrissae) in the nasal vestibule

Question 5

Function of sinuses

Answer 5

Vocal resonance
Decrease weight of skull and facial bones
Buffer for trauma

Question 6

What is the nose made up from?

Answer 6

1/3rd bony

2/3rd cartilage

Question 7

What is the midline partition of the internal nose?

Answer 7

Nasal septum

Question 8

What makes up the lateral walls of the internal nose?

Answer 8

Turbinates

Question 9

What makes up the roof of the internal nose?

Answer 9

Cribriform plate

Question 10

What forms the floor of the internal nose?

Answer 10

Hard palate

Question 11

Assosiated structures of the internal nose

Answer 11

Paranasal sinuses

Nasopharynx

Question 12

What makes up the nasal septum?

Answer 12

Perpendicular plate of ethmoid bone
Vomer
Septal cartilage

Question 13

What are the turbinates of the nose?

Answer 13

Superior
Middle
Inferior

Question 14

What is each turbinate assosiated with?

Answer 14

Meatus

Question 15

What are the paranasal sinuses?

Answer 15

Frontal
Maxillary x2
Ethmoid - anterior and posterior
Sphenoid

Question 16

What drains into the inferior meatus?

Answer 16

Nasolacrimal duct

Question 17

What drains into the middle meatus?

Answer 17

Frontal
Maxillary
Anterior ethmoid

Question 18

What drains into the superior meatus?

Answer 18

Posterior ethmoid

Sphenoid

Question 19

Definition of rhinosinusitis

Answer 19

A concurrent inflammatory and infective process that affects the nasal passageway and continuous para nasal sinuses

Question 20

Causes of acute rhinosinusitis

Answer 20

Bacterial

Question 21

Causes of chronic rhinosinusitis

Answer 21

Allergic

Non allergic +/- polyps

Question 22

What is an important relation of the frontal and ethmoid sinuses?

Answer 22

Anterior cranial fossa

Question 23

What is an important relation of the maxillary sinus?

Answer 23

Orbits

Question 24

What is an important relation of the sphenoid sinus?

Answer 24

Optic nerve
Internal carotid artery
Cavernous sinus

Question 25

What is Littles area?

Answer 25

A region in the anteroinferior part of the nasal septum where four arteries anastomose to form a vascular plexus

Question 26

Definition of epistaxis

Answer 26

Nosebleed

Question 27

Where does epistaxis most commonly occur?

Answer 27

Littles area

Question 28

Common causes of epistaxis

Answer 28

Trauma aka nose picking 
Anticoagulants 
Iatrogenic - surgery 
Idiopathic
Hypertension

Question 29

What is olfactory dysfunction?

Answer 29

A sensory processing disorder involving an altered sensitivity to smell

Question 30

Causes of olfactory dysfunction

Answer 30

Rhinosinusitis
Post viral anosmia
Trauma

Question 31

Definition of anosmia

Answer 31

Loss of the sense of smell