Nose and Throat

Question 1

What is the nose and nasal cavity composed of?

Answer 1

Nares
Nasal vestibule
Conchae
Paranasal sinuses

Question 2

What is the nares?

Answer 2

Part of nasal cavity where air enters

Question 3

What is the function of the nasal vestibule?

Answer 3

Contains hairs that trap foreign particles

Question 4

What are the conchae and what are their functions?

Answer 4

Bony projections

Creates turbulent airflow, traps foreign matter in mucous and warms/humidifies air

Question 5

What is the function of the paranasal sinuses?

Answer 5

Secrete mucous to clean and moisten nasal cavity

Question 6

What are the four parts of the pharynx?

Answer 6

Nasopharynx (continuous with nasal cavity)
Oropharynx (continuous with oral cavity)
Laryngopharynx (leads to larynx, esophagus)
Glottis (opening to larynx) covered by epiglottis during swallowing

Question 7

What separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity and nasopharynx?

Answer 7

Hard and soft palates

Question 8

What are the paired hollows of the paranasal sinuses?

Answer 8

Maxillary, frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid

Lined with respiratory epithelium that secrete mucous to clean and moisten nasal cavity

Question 9

What is the respiratory epithelium composed of?

Answer 9

Pseudostratified columnar epithelium (lower pharynx is stratified squamous - strong protective layer against physical and chemical damage)
Ciliated cells
Mucous cells
Cilia and mucous work together to remove particulate matter and bacteria

Question 10

How do olfactory receptors sense smell?

Answer 10

• Ciliated bipolar neurons found in olfactory epithelium lining ceiling of nasal cavity (continually replaced - unlike other neurons)
• Detect odourants dissolved in mucous on olfactory epithelium
• Odourants activate receptors on cilia of olfactory neurons (G-protein signal transduction pathway leads to depolarization of cells)
• The axons that constitute olfactory nerve (cranial nerve I) project to olfactory bulb at the base of the brain