Facts about the Nose
- 09
Nasal passages contain specialized cells called goblet cells that produce roughly one liter of mucus daily to trap particles and pathogens before they reach the lungs.
- 08
Olfactory receptor neurons in the nose completely regenerate every 30 to 40 days, making them among the few neuron types that continuously renew throughout adult life.
- 07
Cocaine constricts blood vessels in the nasal tissue, which is why it was historically used as a local anesthetic in nasal surgery before safer alternatives became available in the early 1900s.
- 06
During fetal development, the nose develops from five mesenchymal processes that merge around weeks 6 to 8 of gestation to form the nasal structures and septum.
- 05
Nosebleeds occur in approximately 60 percent of people at some point in their lives, most commonly from the anterior septum where blood vessels are fragile and exposed.
- 04
Chronic nasal congestion reduces the ability to smell by blocking odorant molecules from reaching the olfactory receptors located in the upper nasal cavity.
- 03
Humans can detect the smell of certain odors in concentrations as low as a few parts per trillion, making the nose more sensitive than many laboratory instruments.
- 02
Olfactory receptors in the nose send signals directly to the brain's olfactory bulb, bypassing the thalamus unlike most other sensory information.
- 01
About 400 different odors can be detected by the human nose through roughly 400 types of olfactory receptors in the olfactory epithelium.