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| Nasal mucosa | |
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| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | tunica mucosa nasi, membrana mucosa nasi |
| MeSH | D009297 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thenasal mucosa lines thenasal cavity. It is part of therespiratory mucosa, themucous membrane lining therespiratory tract.[1][2] The nasal mucosa is intimately adherent to theperiosteum orperichondrium of thenasal conchae. It is continuous with the skin through thenostrils, and with themucous membrane of the nasal part of thepharynx through thechoanae. From the nasal cavity its continuity with theconjunctiva may be traced, through thenasolacrimal andlacrimal ducts; and with thefrontal,ethmoidal,sphenoidal, andmaxillary sinuses, through the several openings in thenasal meatuses. The mucous membrane is thickest, and most vascular, over thenasal conchae. It is also thick over thenasal septum where increased numbers of goblet cells produce a greater amount ofnasal mucus. It is very thin in the meatuses on the floor of the nasal cavities, and in the varioussinuses. It is one of the most commonly infected tissues in adults and children. Inflammation of this tissue may cause significant impairment of daily activities, with symptoms such as stuffy nose, headache, mouth breathing, etc.
Owing to the thickness of the greater part of thismembrane, the nasal cavities are much narrower, and the middle and inferior nasal conchæ appear larger and more prominent than in theskeleton; also the various apertures communicating with the meatuses are considerably narrowed.
Theepithelium of the nasal mucosa is of two types –respiratory epithelium, andolfactory epithelium differing according to its functions. In the respiratory region it is columnar and ciliated.[3][4] Interspersed among thecolumnar cells aregoblet or mucin cells, while between their bases are found smallerpyramidal cells. Beneath the epithelium and itsbasement membrane is a fibrous layer infiltrated with lymph corpuscles, so as to form in many parts a diffuseadenoid tissue, and under this a nearly continuous layer of small and largerglands, some mucous and some serous, the ducts of which open upon the surface. In the olfactory region the mucous membrane is yellowish in color and theepithelial cells are columnar and non-ciliated; they are of two kinds, supporting cells andolfactory cells. The supporting cells contain oval nuclei, which are situated in the deeper parts of the cells and constitute the zone of oval nuclei; the superficial part of each cell is columnar, and contains granules of yellowpigment, while its deep part is prolonged as a delicate process which ramifies and communicates with similar processes from neighboring cells, so as to form a net-work in the mucous membrane. Lying between the deep processes of the supporting cells are a number ofbipolar nerve cells, the olfactory cells, each consisting of a small amount of granularprotoplasm with a large sphericalnucleus, and possessing two processes—a superficial one which runs between the columnar epithelial cells, and projects on the surface of the mucous membrane as a fine, hair-like process, the olfactory hair; the other or deep process runs inward, is frequently beaded, and is continued as theaxon of an olfactory nerve fiber. Beneath the epithelium, and extending through the thickness of the mucous membrane, is a layer of tubular, often branched, glands, theglands of Bowman, identical in structure withserous glands. The epithelial cells of thenose,fauces and respiratory passages play an important role in the maintenance of an equable temperature, by the moisture with which they keep the surface always slightly lubricated.[4]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text in thepublic domain from the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy (1918):Henry Gray (1918).Anatomy of the Human Body. Lea & Febiger. p. 996.
