nasal concha

Main Entry: nasal concha
Function: noun
: any of three thin bony plates on the lateral wall of the nasal fossa on each side with or without their covering of mucousmembrane: a : a separate curved bony plate that is the largest of the three and separates the inferior and middle meatuses of the nose called also inferior concha, inferiornasal concha, inferior turbinate, inferior turbinate bone, maxilloturbinal b : the lower of two thin bony processes of the ethmoid bone on the lateral wall ofeach nasal fossa that separates the superior and middle meatuses of the nose called also middle concha, middle nasal concha, middle turbinate, middle turbinate bone,nasoturbinal c : the upper of two thin bony processes of the ethmoid bone on the lateral wall of each nasal fossa that forms the upper boundary of the superior meatus of thenose called also superior concha, superior nasal concha, superior turbinate, superior turbinate bone

nasal concha n.
See ethmoidal crest.

nasal concha

any of several thin, scroll-shaped bony elements forming the upper chambers of the nasal cavities. They increase the surface area of these cavities, thus providing for rapid warming and humidification of air as it passes to the lungs. In higher vertebrates the olfactory epithelium is associated with these upper chambers, resulting in keener sense of smell. In humans, who are less dependent on the sense of smell, the nasal conchae are much reduced. The components of the nasal conchae are the inferior, medial, superior, and supreme turbinates.

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