what does the nose do?

The nose acts as an air conditioning unit, making the air that we breathe in healthy for the lungs. The lining of the nose is like a sponge. When the nasal blood vessel valves are open blood flows in and the lining swells as the sponge fills. This makes the lining warmer and it acts like a radiator to heat the air we breathe in.

The nose and sinuses are lined with mucous membrane that produces mucus which wets & humidifies the air that we breathe. It is sticky and also traps irritants and organisms like bacteria and viruses that might cause infection. This helps filter the air.

Protruding from the surface of the membrane are microscopic arms called cilia. They beat together in a particular direction, like wheat moving in the wind and carry mucus to the back of the nose from where it is swallowed.

The roof of the nose has specialised nerve endings (olfactory nerve fibres) that come through from the brain and detect smells.