Human nose

The human nose is the facial organ that admits air, detects odors, and helps warm, humidify, and filter inhaled air.

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Nasal cavity: The internal chamber behind the nostrils, divided by the nasal septum and lined with mucosa. Its passages conduct and condition inhaled air before it reaches the throat.
Nostril: An external opening of the nose through which air enters and leaves. Nostrils form the visible entrance to the respiratory passages.
Olfaction: The sense of smell, produced when odorants activate sensory pathways from the nose to the brain. The nose houses the receptors that initiate this chemical sense.
Rhinitis: Inflammation of the nasal lining that commonly causes congestion, discharge, and sneezing. It disrupts the mucosa responsible for comfortable airflow and air conditioning.
Olfactory epithelium: A specialized tissue high in the nasal cavity containing odor-detecting sensory neurons. Odor detection begins where airborne molecules contact this tissue.
Nasal septum: A wall of cartilage and bone that divides the nasal cavity into right and left passages. It partitions the nose’s internal airway and shapes airflow through each side.
Nasal cycle: The alternating swelling and decongestion of nasal tissues that shifts airflow between sides over time. It changes which nasal passage carries more air without conscious control.
Nasal septum deviation: A displacement of the nasal septum that makes the two nasal passages unequal in shape. It can narrow airflow through one side of the nose.
Olfactory receptor: A receptor protein on olfactory sensory neurons that responds to particular odorant molecules. These receptors translate chemical contact inside the nose into sensory signals.
Paranasal sinus: An air-filled cavity in a skull bone that connects with the nasal cavity. These adjoining cavities share drainage pathways with the nose.