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The nose has special cells which help us smell.
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The technical term for sense of smell is ‘olfaction’.
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Your nose can help detect dangerous chemicals in the air.
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The human nose can smell many different odors but is far less sensitive than other animals such as dogs.
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The human nose has 2 nostrils.
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The 2 nostrils are divided by the nasal septum.
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The nasal septum is made up mostly of cartilage, a tissue that is stiffer than muscle but more flexible than bone.
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Found at the roof of the nose, the ethmoid bone separates the nasal cavity and brain.
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The ethmoid bone is also one of the bones that make up the orbit of the human eye.
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The nasal cavity is a large space found inside the head, above and behind the nose.
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Air passing through the nasal cavity is warmed to match body temperature (or cooled if it is very hot).
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Dust and other particles are removed in the nasal cavity by short hairs.
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The floor of the nasal cavity is also the roof of the mouth.
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‘Anosmia’ is the inability to smell.
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‘Dysosmia’ is when things don’t smell as they should.
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‘Hyperosmia’ is having a very strong sense of smell.
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On average, men have larger noses than women.
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It is traditional for Maori people in New Zealand to press noses (hongi) as a greeting.
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Plastic surgery involving the nose is called ‘rhinoplasty’.