 the nasal cavity (or nasal fossa) is a large air filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. == function == the nasal cavity conditions the air to be received by the other areas of the respiratory tract. owing to the large surface area provided by the nasal conchae, the air passing through the nasal cavity is warmed or cooled to within 1 degree of body temperature. in addition, the air is humidified, and dust and other particulate matter is removed by vibrissae, short, thick hairs, present in the vestibule. the cilia of the respiratory epithelium move the particulate matter towards the pharynx where it passes into the esophagus and is digested in the stomach. the nasal cavity also aids in our sense of smell and taste. ===walls=== lateral wall of the nasal cavity is mainly made up by the maxilla, however there is a deficiency that is compensated by: the perpendicular plate of the palatine bone, the medial pterygoid plate, the labyrinth of the ethmoid and the inferior concha. the nasal cavity is enclosed by the nasal bone above. the floor of the nasal cavity, which forms the roof of the mouth, is made up by the bones of the hard palate: the horizontal plate of the palatine bone posteriorly and the palatine process of the maxilla anteriorly. to the front of the nasal cavity is the nose, while the back blends, via the choanae, into the nasopharynx. the paranasal sinuses are connected to the nasal cavity through small orifices called ostia. the nasal cavity is divided in two by a vertical fin called the nasal septum. on the sides of the nasal cavity are three horizontal outgrowths called nasal conchae (singular "concha") or turbinates. these turbinates disrupt the airflow, directing air toward the olfactory epithelium on the surface of the turbinates and the septum. the vomeronasal organ is located at the back of the septum and has a role in pheromone detection. ===cilia and mucus=== cilia and mucus along the inside wall of the nasal cavity trap and remove dust and pathogens from the air as it flows through the nasal cavity. the cilia move the mucus down the nasal cavity to the pharynx, where it can be swallowed. ===segments=== the nasal cavity is divided into two segments: the respiratory segment and the olfactory segment. * the respiratory segment is lined with ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium (also called respirato
Nose