Bones in the Nose

There is a very common misunderstanding that the nose contains no bones, but rather it is comprised of cartilage. Actually, the nose contains quite a number of bones, in fact, there are 14 bones. The confusion lies in that often one thinks of the nose as only what a person has extending from their face. Instead, the nose is much more than that. The nasal passages and the sinuses are also part of the nose and that is where most of the bones can be found.

It is the nasal septum (which is comprised of cartilage) and the ethmoid bone that influence the shape of the human nose. The male nose is typically larger than a female's nose, but the size and shape of a nose can be influenced by a number of things such as, heredity and external factors, for example, breaking the nose. The bird-like nose that is sometimes seen on the elderly is known as Werner Syndrome, which is premature aging. The flattening of the nose, often associated with Down Syndrome is a neotenizing condition.

The nasal bones align with the frontal bone at the top of the nose; this is known as the nasal root. A narrow protrusion of bone on the lower nasal margin at the midline is called the anterior nasal spine. This holds in place the center of a nose, which is made of cartilage. The bridge of a nose is made up of two small oblong-shaped bones called nasal bones that lie side by side. Part of the nasal cavity is the lateral wall. This is made up of a number of bones: medial pterygoid plate of sphenoid, perpendicular plate of palatine, ethmoid, inferior nasal concha, lacrimal, nasal, and maxilla. The large bones of the upper jaw, called the maxillae, also form the nasal cavity walls and sinuses. The maxillas itself consists of bones that have a spongy middle area.