In this PDF-note, we are going to examine the nasal cavity (cavum nasi).
The opening from the front is called the piriform aperture (apertura piriformis), under which the anterior nasal spine (spina nasalis anterior) protrudes from below.


The posterior foramina of the nasal cavity are called choanae (choanae). These connect the nasal cavity with the cavity of the pharynx.
The nasal cavity is divided into two halves by the nasal septum. It consists of three parts:
a bony part (pars ossea)
a cartilaginous part (pars cartilaginea)
a membranous part (pars membranacea).
The bony part is formed by:
the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone (lamina perpendicularis ossis ethmoidalis)
Perpendicular plate of ethmoid bone (lamina perpendicularis ossis ethmoidalis) the vomer (vomer)
Vomer (vomer)
The nasal cavity contains three walls:
a roof (paries superior)
a floor (paries inferior)
a lateral wall (paries lateralis)
The roof is formed by:
the internal surface of the nasal bone (facies interna ossis nasalis)
Nasal bone (os nasale) the nasal part of the frontal bone (pars nasalis ossis frontalis)
Nasal part of frontal bone (pars nasalis ossis frontalis) the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone (lamina cribrosa ossis ethmoidalis)
Cribriform plate of ethmoid bone (lamina cribrosa ossis ethmoidalis) the body of the sphenoid bone (corpus ossis sphenoidalis)
Body of sphenoid bone (corpus ossis sphenoidalis) The floor is formed by:
the palatine process of the maxilla (processus palatinus maxillae)
Frontal process of maxilla (processus palatinus maxillae) the horizontal plate of the palatine bone (lamina horizontalis ossis palatini)
Perpendicular plate of palatine bone (lamina horyzontalis ossis palatini) The lateral wall is formed by:
the frontal process of the maxilla (processus frontalis maxillae)
Frontal process of maxilla (processus frontalis maxillae) the nasal bone (os nasale)
Nasal bone (os nasale) the lacrimal bone (os lacrimale)
Lacrimal bone(os lacrimale) the ethmoidal labyrinth (labyrinthus ethmoidalis)
Ethmoidal labyrinth (labyrinthus ethmoidalis) the inferior nasal concha (concha nasalis inferior)
Inferior nasal concha (concha nasalis inferior) the perpendicular plate of the palatine bone (lamina perpendicularis ossis palatini)
Perpendicular plate of palatine bone (lamina perpendicularis ossis palatini) the lateral plate of the pterygoid process (lamina medialis processus pterygoidei ossis sphenoidalis)
Lateral plate of pterygoid process (lamina medialis processus pterygoidei ossis sphenoidalis)
Three nasal conchae can be seen on the lateral wall:
the superior nasal concha (concha nasalis superior)
Superior nasal concha (concha nasalis superior) the middle nasal concha (concha nasalis media)
Middle nasal concha (concha nasalis media) the inferior nasal concha (concha nasalis inferior)
Inferior nasal concha (concha nasalis inferior) Occasionally, there is also the supreme nasal concha (concha nasalis suprema)
Supreme nasal concha (concha nasalis suprema) The nasal conchae separate the nasal cavity into three nasal meatuses:
the superior nasal meatus (meatus nasi superior), which lies between the superior and middle conchae. This meatus is connected with the posterior ethmoidal cells and the sphenoidal sinus
Superior nasal meatus (meatus nasi superior) the middle nasal meatus (meatus nasi medius), which lies between the middle and inferior conchae. It is connected with the anterior and middle ethmoidal cells, as well as the frontal sinus.
Middle nasal meatus (meatus nasi medius) the inferior nasal meatus (meatus nasi inferior), which is located under the inferior concha.

The area between the nasal conchae on one side and the nasal septum on the other side is called the common nasal meatus (meatus nasi communis).
In addition to the openings of the air cavities, there are several other openings in the nasal cavity:
Title | Contents | Connected to |
---|---|---|
Incisive canal (canalis incisivus) |
Posterior septal artery, nasopalatine nerve | Oral cavity |

Cribriform foramina (foramina cribrosa) |
Anterior ethmoidal artery, ethmoidal veins, olfactory nerve | Anterior cranial fossa |

Sphenopalatine foramen (foramen sphenopalatinum) |
Sphenopalatine artery and vein, nerve branches of the pterygopalatine ganglion | Pterygopalatine fossa |

Nasolacrimal canal (canalis nasolacrimalis) |
Nasolacrimal duct | Orbital cavity |
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Nasal cavity
- nasal cavity
- cavum nasi
- piriform aperture
- apertura piriformis
- anterior nasal spine
- spina nasalis anterior
- choanae
- choanae
- bony part
- pars ossea
- cartilaginous part
- pars cartilaginea
- membranous part
- pars membranacea
- perpendicular plate of ethmoid bone
- lamina perpendicularis ossis ethmoidalis
- vomer
- vomer
- roof
- paries superior
- floor
- paries inferior
- lateral wall
- paries lateralis
- internal surface of nasal bone
- facies interna ossis nasalis
- nasal part of frontal bone
- pars nasalis ossis frontalis
- cribriform plate of ethmoid bone
- lamina cribrosa ossis ethmoidalis
- body of sphenoid bone
- corpus ossis sphenoidalis
- palatine process of maxilla
- processus palatinus maxillae
- horizontal plate of palatine bone
- lamina horizontalis ossis palatini
- frontal process of maxilla
- processus frontalis maxillae
- nasal bone
- os nasale
- lacrimal bone
- os lacrimale
- ethmoidal labyrinth
- labyrinthus ethmoidalis
- perpendicular plate of palatine bone
- lamina perpendicularis ossis palatini
- lateral plate of pterygoid process
- lamina medialis processus pterygoidei ossis sphenoidalis
- superior nasal concha
- concha nasalis superior
- middle nasal concha
- concha nasalis media
- inferior nasal concha
- concha nasalis inferior
- supreme nasal concha
- concha nasalis suprema
- superior nasal meatus
- meatus nasi superior
- middle nasal meatus
- meatus nasi medius
- inferior nasal meatus
- meatus nasi inferior
- common nasal meatus
- meatus nasi communis
- incisive canal
- canalis incisivus
- cribriform foramina
- foramina cribrosa
- sphenopalatine foramen
- foramen sphenopalatinum
- nasolacrimal canal
- canalis nasolacrimalis