Nasal Cavities

Question 1

What are the 3 regions of the nasal cavity?

Answer 1

Vestibule
Respiratory region
Olfactory Region

Question 2

What is the vestibule of the nasal cavity?

Answer 2

Slightly expanded anterior part of the nasal passage just inside the nares
Lumen has keratinized, stratified squamous epithelium

Question 3

What is the respiratory region of the nasal cavity?

Answer 3

Has ciliated, pseudostratified, columnar epithelium with goblet cells
Lamina contains seromucous glands
Mucous membrane that exists to warm and humidify the air

Question 4

What cells are contained in the olfactory region?

Answer 4

Contains the olfactory nerves (peripheral receptors for olfactory sensation)

Question 5

What are the 3 nasal conchae, and which are a part of the ethmoid bone and which is a separate bone?

Answer 5

The superior, middle, and inferior conchae

Superior and middle conchae are a part of the ethmoid bone, and the inferior nasla concha is a separate bone

Question 6

What is the name of the space in between the nasal conchae?

Answer 6

Superior nasal meatus
Middle nasal meatus
Inferior nasal meatus

Question 7

Where is the sphenoethmoidal recess?

Answer 7

It is above the superior nasal concha

Question 8

What are the special features of the lateral nasal wall?

Answer 8

Ethmoid bulla (which contains the middle ethmoid air cells)
Semilunar hiatus 
Infundibulum (funnel shaped end of the semilunar hiatus and opens into the frontal sinus via the frontonasal duct)

Question 9

What are the 5 gateways into the nasal cavities?

Answer 9

Cribiform plate of ethmoid bone
Sphenopalatine foramen
Incisive canal
Small foramina in the lateral wall
Naris

Question 10

What are the 3 major structures traveling through the spenopalatine foramen, and where is it?***

Answer 10

It is just superior to the attachment of the posterior end of the middle nasal concha
Major structures traversing the foramen:
Sphenopalatine artery (branch of maxillary artery)
Nasopalatine nerve (from maxillary nerve V2)
Upper posterior nasal nerves (from maxillary nerve V2)

Question 11

What are the 2 major structures traveling through the incisive canal?

Answer 11

Nasopalatine nerve

Terminal branch of the greater palatine artery

Question 12

What structures pass through the unnamed small foramina in the lateral wall?

Answer 12

Nasal branch of the anterior superior alveolar nerve

Lower posterior nasal branches enter from the greater palatine canal

Question 13

What passes through the naris?

Answer 13

Branches of the facial artery

Internal nasal branches of the infraorbital nerve

Question 14

What artery is the main blood supply of the nasal cavity, and what is it a terminal branch of?***

Answer 14

Sphenopalatine artery

Is the terminal branch of the maxillary artery

Question 15

How does the sphenopalatine artery enter the nasal cavity, and what are 3 things it anastomoses with?

Answer 15

Enters the cavity through the sphenopalatine foramen
Anastomoses with:
Anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries
Facial artery
Greater palatine artery

Question 16

How does the greater palatine artery enter the nasal cavity, and what does it anastomose with? What does it supply?

Answer 16

Enters via the incisive foramen and anastomoses with branch of sphenopalatine artery
Supplies the anterior medial wall and adjacent floor of nasal cavity

Question 17

What are all the arteries that supply the nasal cavity, and what is the main one?

Answer 17

Main artery is the sphenopalatine artery

Others include greater palatine artery, branches of the facial artery, and anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries

Question 18

What are the main nerves of the nasal cavity?

Answer 18

Olfactory nerve
Branches of the ophthalmic (V1) division of trigeminal
Branches of maxillary (V2) division of trigeminal

Question 19

What are the branches of the ophthalmic nerve of the trigeminal (V1) that supplies the nasal cavity?

Answer 19

Anterior ethmoidal nerve

Posterior ethmoidal nerve

Question 20

What is the path of the anterior ethmoidal nerve?

Answer 20

Enters the anterior ethmoidal foramen:
-Supplies middle and anterior ethmoidal air cells
Enters cranial cavity at side of cribiform plate of the ethmoid
-sends sensory fibers to meninges
Enters nasal cavity through the nasal slit
-gives off sensory fibers to anterior part of nasal septum and anterior parts of lateral walls
Leaves nasal cavity as the external nasal branch which supplies the skin on lower half of the nose

Question 21

What is the path of the posterior ethmoidal nerve?**

Answer 21

Enters the posterior ethmoidal foramen

• supplies fibers to sphenoidal air sinuses and posterior ethmoidal air cells
• ***Normally does NOT enter the nasal cavities

Question 22

What are the branches from the maxillary division (V2) of the trigeminal that supply the nasal cavity?

Answer 22

(first 3 are from pterygopalatine ganglion)

1. Upper posterior nasal nerves
2. Nasopalatine nerves (largest)
3. Lower posterior nasal nerves (which originate from the greater palatine nerves)
4. Branch from anterior superior alveolar branch of infraorbital nerve

Question 23

What do the upper posterior nerves supply in the nasal cavity? What is it a branch of?

Answer 23

Is a branch of the maxillary division of trigeminal; originate in the pterygopalatine ganglion
Supplies posterior portions of lateral walls and nasal septum

Question 24

What do the nasopalatine nerves supply in the nasal cavity supply, and what are they a branch of?

Answer 24

Branch of the maxillary division of trigeminal; originate in the pterygopalatine ganglion
Supplies nasal septum and the mucosa immediately behind incisor teeth

Question 25

What do the lower posterior nasal nerves in the nasal cavity supply, and what are they a branch of?

Answer 25

Are a branch of the maxillary division of trigeminal; originate from pterygopalatine ganglion
Supply the lower posterior parts of lateral walls

Question 26

What do the branches from the superior alveolar branch supply, and what are they branches of?

Answer 26

Branches of the infraorbital nerve (continuation of maxillary)
Supply the lateral wall near anterior end of inferior nasal concha

Question 27

What are the paranasal sinuses?

Answer 27

Diverticula of the nasal cavity which grow into the surrounding bones
Aid in mucus production
lined with respiratory epithelium

Question 28

What is the nerve and blood supply of frontal sinuses?

Answer 28

Nerve: supraorbital branch, orbital branches of maxillary
Blood: anterior ethmoidal arteries

Question 29

What is the nerve and blood supply of the maxillary sinuses?

Answer 29

Nerve: superior alveolar and infraorbital nerves
Blood: superior alveolar and infraorbital arteries

Question 30

What is the nerve and blood supply of the ethmoidal air cells?

Answer 30

Nerve: anterior and posterior ethmoidal nerves, orbital branches of maxillary nerve
Blood: anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries

Question 31

What type of fibers are brought in by the nerve supplies to the sinuses?

Answer 31

Sensory fibers AND parasympathetic fibers

Question 32

What are the sphenoidal sinuses related to?

Answer 32

-Optic nerves and optic chiasma
-Pituitary gland
It is near the cavernous sinus, therefore:
-Cranial nerves III, IV, V1, V2, and VI
-Internal carotid artery

Question 33

What is the nerve and blood supply for the posterior ethmoidal artery?

Answer 33

Nerve: posterior ethmoidal nerve, orbital branches of maxillary
Blood: posterior ethmoidal artery

Question 34

What do the maxillary sinuses drain into? Frontal sinuses?

Answer 34

Maxillary: Middle meatus (hiatus semilunaris)
Frontal: Middle meatus (infundibulum via frontonasal duct)

Question 35

What do the ethmoidal air cells drain into (the anterior, middle, and posterior cells?

Answer 35

Anterior: middle meatus (infundibulum)
Middle: middle meatus (top of ethmoid bulla)
Posterior: superior meatus

Question 36

What do the sphenoidal sinuses drain into? The nasolacrimal duct?

Answer 36

Sphenoidal: Sphenoethmoidal recess

Nasolacrimal duct: inferior meatus