Why do people have a nasal septum and not one big nostril?
369155
Probably because we are bilaterally symmetrical. :-p\n\nSeriously, it's probably more to do with the advantages of two smaller nostrils. If you had one big nostril, inhaling through your nose would bring in a lot of air, but not very much air pressure, given the same size lungs.Further, less of the air would pass across mucous membranes (which trap contaminants which would otherwise enter the lungs), and less of it would pass across the little channels where the cells which 'smell' things are located.\n\nTwo nostrils means more surface area relative to volume, and more air pressure (meaning that when you inhale, you pull in smellable molecules from farther away).\n\nA more appropriate question would be "why not three nostrils?", but then I would just reply with my first line again ;-)
441625
It's not so much that they're atached, but that the force of the pressure generated by blowing one's nose makes fluid escape the eyes.It's normal.
232353
yes because their truncks are just elongated noses. contrary to popular belief, they can drink out of the, but they DO, however suck water up their noses to spray it on their backs and what not and clean themselves. if they couldnt breath out their trunks, they wouldnt be able to use their trunks to clean themselves.
874844
Is it the bit of bone dividing the inside of your nose into two?
929757
There are hairs in the nose that filter out such particles. When breathed in through the mouth, there are other things as well in the windpipe, etc that prevent many contaminants from reaching the lungs.
1166415
Deviated septum\n\nA deviated septum is a common physical disorder of the nose, most frequently caused by impact trauma, such as by a blow to the face. It can also be a congenital disorder, though it is not hereditary.\n\nThe nasal septum is the membranous ridge of cartilage in the nose that separates the nasal cavity into the two nostrils. Normally, the septum lies centrally, and thus the nasal passages are symmetrical. A deviated septum is an abnormal condition in which the top of the cartilaginous ridge leans to the left or the right, causing obstruction of the affected nasal passage. The condition can result in poor drainage of the sinuses, leading to frequent infections or the growth of nasal polyps. Patients can also complain of difficulty breathing easily, or of sleeping disorders such as snoring or apnoea.\n\nIt is common for nasal septums to depart from the exact centerline; the septum is only considered deviated if the shift is substantial or is adversely affecting the patient. Many people with a deviation are unaware they have it until some discomfort is produced. But by itself a deviated septum can go for years without being detected and thus be without any real need for correction.\n\nIn most cases a deviated septum can be corrected with a minor surgical procedure known as a septoplasty, which enters through the nostrils and cuts away the obtruding matter. The surgery is performed quickly but the patient may take several days to recover.\n\n Fact Sheet: Deviated Septum\n \nThe shape of your nasal cavity could be the cause of chronic sinusitis. The nasal septum is the wall dividing the nasal cavity into halves; it is composed of a central supporting skeleton covered on each side by mucous membrane. The front portion of this natural partition is a firm but bendable structure made mostly of cartilage and is covered by skin that has a substantial supply of blood vessels. The ideal nasal septum is exactly midline, separating the left and right sides of the nose into passageways of equal size. \nEstimates are that 80 percent of all nasal septums are off-center, a condition that is generally not noticed. A "deviated septum" occurs when the septum is severely shifted away from the midline. The most common symptom from a badly deviated or crooked septum is difficulty breathing through the nose. The symptoms are usually worse on one side, and sometimes actually occur on the side opposite the bend. In some cases the crooked septum can interfere with the drainage of the sinuses, resulting in repeated sinus infections. \n\nSeptoplasty is the preferred surgical treatment to correct a deviated septum. This procedure is not generally performed on minors, because the cartilaginous septum grows until around age 18. Septal deviations commonly occur due to nasal trauma. \n\nA deviated septum may cause one or more of the following: \n\nBlockage of one or both nostrils \nNasal congestion, sometimes one-sided \nFrequent nosebleeds \nFrequent sinus infections \nAt times, facial pain, headaches, postnasal drip \nNoisy breathing during sleep (in infants and young children) \nIn some cases, a person with a mildly deviated septum has symptoms only when he or she also has a "cold" (an upper respiratory tract infection). In these individuals, the respiratory infection triggers nasal inflammation that temporarily amplifies any mild airflow problems related to the deviated septum. Once the "cold" resolves, and the nasal inflammation subsides, symptoms of a deviated septum often resolve, too. \n\n \nDiagnosis Of A Deviated Septum: Patients with chronic sinusitis often have nasal congestion, and many have nasal septal deviations. However, for those with this debilitating condition, there may be additional reasons for the nasal airway obstruction. The problem may result from a septal deviation, reactive edema (swelling) from the infected areas, allergic problems, mucosal hypertrophy (increase in size), other anatomic a
814301
Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for respiration.\n\nFunction\nIn mammals\nIn most mammals, it also houses the nosehairs, which catch airborne particles and prevent them from reaching the lungs. Within and behind the nose is the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes through the pharynx, shared with the digestive system, and then into the rest of the respiratory system. In humans, the nose is located centrally on the face; on most other mammals, it is on the upper tip of the snout.\n\nAs an interface between the body and the external world, the nose and associated structures frequently perform additional functions concerned with conditioning entering air (for instance, by warming and/or humidifying it) and by mostly reclaiming moisture from the air before it is exhaled (as occurs most efficiently in camels).\n\nIn most mammals, the nose is the primary organ for smelling. As the animal sniffs, the air flows through the nose and over structures called turbinates in the nasal cavity. The turbulence caused by this disruption slows the air and directs it toward the olfactory epithelium. At the surface of the olfactory epithelium, odor molecules carried by the air contact olfactory receptor neurons which transduce the features of the molecule into electrical impulses in the brain.\n\nIn cetaceans, the nose has been reduced to the nostrils, which have migrated to the top of the head, producing a more streamlined body shape and the ability to breathe while mostly submerged. Conversely, the elephant's nose has become elaborated into a long, muscular, manipulative organ called the trunk.\n\nHuman nose\nThe visible part of the human nose is the protruding part of the face that bears the nostrils. The shape of the nose is determined by the ethmoid bone and the nasal septum, which consists mostly of cartilage and which separates the nostrils.\n\nYou could get more information from the link below...
829933
Yes, only one nostril works at a time, and somehow they know when to take turns!
22206
No, there is no fat in boogers (aka snot, mucus, phlegm, etc). I know a lot of small children that seem to enjoy eating them and they're not getting any fatter.
700504
Okay here is an answer from your friendly respiratory therapist. when you breathe you do so through your nose, at least you should, humans are nose breathers.  We do this because right beyond your nose is a body part called the concha which in simple terms is like a palm tree full of blood vessels and tissue, etc to naturally warm up, filter and hydrate the air you breathe in so when it gets to the lungs its is as warm, clean and damp as possible.  Now when you blow your nose you blast that nasal concha with hurricane force winds and the crap on it comes off, sometimes you break a blood vessel on the concha which s generally no big deal, unless you have a bleeding disorder.  Anyway this is all up in you sinuses and when you blow you nose hence the warm pink snot.  I hope that this anatomy and physiology lesson was helpful, if not email me. I'll explain further
869068
I hear it's pretty painful, but worth it, especially if you have breathing problems from it. I wouldn't do it if it's just a cosmetic thing.\n\nJust how big is your nose??????????
1142189
i don't even think he has a nose left. i think he wears a prosthetic. maybe his whole face is a mask. someone should have told him to stop with the plastic surgery. he is addicted. people need to learn to love themselves and stop trying to change themselves to make others happy.
1054234
Your friend has a doctor willing to give her reason to get those things done. Deviated septum is a classical excuse to get a nose job. tuberous breast is a new one to me.
640150
I can imagine:- one feature will be a massive nose, another a massive pair of ears.\nAm I correct or would you prefer not to share that information with us?
710161
Animals have 2 or more. Humans have 1. \n\nLook at a cat or dog for an example of a double eyelid. They may have their outer lid open but there is a membrane underneath that slides back and forth to block out light or let it pass through. That is something that people just don't have.
866786
Take up boxing.  After years of being broken, it may not be smaller, but probably be a bit flatter...\n\nWhat you are asking is impossible.  There's no magic nose shrinking pills.  It's surgery or you keep the nose you were born with.
864093
humans tear ducts are in exact aline with the area of the brain that cotrols the nostrils this is why your nose runs first when sad or happy animals just get wet noses