The superior nasal concha is a small, curved plate of bone representing a medial bony process of the
labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...
of the ethmoid bone. The superior nasal concha forms the roof of the
superior nasal meatus
In anatomy, the term nasal meatus can refer to any of the three meatuses (passages) through the skulls nasal cavity: the superior meatus (''meatus nasi superior''), middle meatus (''meatus nasi medius''), and inferior meatus (''meatus nasi inferio ...
.
Anatomy
Anatomical relations
The superior nasal concha is situated posterosuperiorly to the
middle nasal concha
The medial surface of the labyrinth of ethmoid consists of a thin lamella, which descends from the under surface of the cribriform plate, and ends below in a free, convoluted margin, the middle nasal concha (middle nasal turbinate).
It is rough, a ...
. It forms the superior boundary of the
superior nasal meatus
In anatomy, the term nasal meatus can refer to any of the three meatuses (passages) through the skulls nasal cavity: the superior meatus (''meatus nasi superior''), middle meatus (''meatus nasi medius''), and inferior meatus (''meatus nasi inferio ...
. Superior to the superior nasal concha is the
sphenoethmoidal recess
The sphenoethmoidal recess is a small space in the nasal cavity into which the sphenoidal sinus
The sphenoid sinus is a paired paranasal sinus occurring within the within the body of the sphenoid bone. It represents one pair of the four paired pa ...
where the
sphenoid sinus
The sphenoid sinus is a paired paranasal sinus occurring within the within the body of the sphenoid bone. It represents one pair of the four paired paranasal sinuses.Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck, Fehrenbach and Herring, Elsevier, 2012, ...
communicates with the
nasal cavity
The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nasal c ...
; the sphenoethmoidal recess is interposed between the superior nasal concha, and (the anterior aspect of) the
body of sphenoid bone
The body of the sphenoid bone, more or less cubical in shape, is hollowed out in its interior to form two large cavities, the sphenoidal sinuses, which are separated from each other by a septum.
Superior surface
The superior surface of the body ...
.
See also
*
Nasal concha
In anatomy, a nasal concha (), plural conchae (), also called a nasal turbinate or turbinal, is a long, narrow, curled shelf of bone that protrudes into the breathing passage of the nose in humans and various animals. The conchae are shaped like ...
Additional images
File:Gray152.png, Ethmoid bone from the right side.
File:Gray191.png, Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities.
File:Gray196.png, Roof, floor, and lateral wall of left nasal cavity.
File:Gray859.png, Coronal section of nasal cavities.
File:Nasenmuscheln1.JPG, Nasal conchae
References
External links
*
upstate.edu - Frontal* - lateral
* - coronal
Bones of the head and neck
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