What are the functions of the nose?

Everyone has a nose. The nose is a very important organ for everyone. The nose can not only be used for breathing, but also for sensing the smell in the air. It also has a filtering function. Once the nose has an abnormality, it will seriously affect our daily life and work. The nose seems to be an inconspicuous organ, but in fact, the nose has many functions. The functions of the nose are introduced in detail below.

What are the functions of the nose?

1. The nose is used for breathing. Breathing is the most important function of the nose. We can feel the presence of air when air passes through the nose, but we cannot feel the presence of air when it passes through the mouth.

2. The olfactory function of the nose. The olfactory epithelium senses odors in the air. This function makes us start to secrete saliva when we smell fragrance without seeing food. For those foodies, the sense of smell is very important.

3. Filtering and cleaning function of the nasal cavity. After the breathed air passes through the nasal cavity, it becomes very clean and pure, and the air entering the lungs also becomes pure.

4. Warming and humidifying function of the nasal cavity. In winter or cold seasons, the nose can warm the cold air and humidify the dry air.

5. The resonance of the nose. The nose and sinuses together form a resonance box of our human body. The monotonous sound emitted by the vocal cords becomes rich and colorful through the resonance of this resonance box, the sound is clear and loud, the tone quality is mellow and full of personality, forming a different voice for each of us.

6. Reduce the weight of the head and protect the head. Since the nasal cavity is hollow and the sinuses are also hollow structures, the weight of the head is greatly reduced. Moreover, from a mechanical point of view, the hollow structure's ability to resist external forces is greatly enhanced, just like an airbag, which can reduce the impact of external impacts on the brain.

7. Reflex function of the nasal cavity. The reflex action of the nose forms the nasal cycle, which is characterized by regular changes, with a cycle occurring at intervals of 2-7 hours. The nasal cycle prompts people to toss and turn repeatedly during sleep, which helps relieve physical fatigue.

8. Excrete excess tears. There is a small hole on the inside of the eye that leads to the nose, which is called the nasolacrimal duct. Its function is to excrete these tears. Under normal circumstances, these tears enter the nasal cavity through the nasolacrimal duct and flow out in the form of snot. When crying, a large amount of tears will flow into the nasal cavity.