Functions of the nose

Functions of the Nose

http://www.suite101.com/content/functions-of-the-nose-a373718

Did you know that new born babies can only breathe through their nose? The nose is not just for breathing. It acts as an air condition vent for your body by regulating the air temperature in your lungs. The air we breathe can between +50°C to –50°C (depending on what climate you’re in). By the time reaches our nasal passage it is about the same temp as our body, 30°C. The nose also adds water to the air that comes in, this is very important because for the proper function of the respiratory system. We have little hairs in our noses called, ‘vibrissae’, that captures dust particles we breathe in. The nose also has a sneeze reflex. This occurs when dust particles enter the nose and come into contact its mucosal covering. Air is immediately forced up and out if the nose to get rid of that dust. The nose is part of our five senses… smell. On the very top of inside the nose are soft tissues that are capable of perceiving odors. That is called the olfactory epithelium. There is a nerve that runs through the olfactory epithelium and up to the back of our skull. This nerve gives us the sense of smell. Along with all of these, the nose also gives a person the sound of their voice. That’s why whenever you get a cold or an infection affects the sound of your voice.

I found this article very interesting and informative. It was written in a matter that was easy to follow and understand. I learned a lot about the functions of the nose. I thought all it was good for was breathing, I did not realize how important the nose was to a functioning body.