Inferior nasal turbinate

Concha nasalis inferior

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What it is
Inferior nasal concha (turbinate): a scroll of thin bone covered by thick, vascular mucosa projecting from the lateral wall of the nasal cavity.
Function
Increases the mucosal surface and creates turbulent airflow so inhaled air is warmed, humidified and filtered.
Size
The largest turbinate (a separate bone), about 4–5 cm long and 1 cm high; the nasolacrimal duct opens under it.
Clinical note
Its erectile venous tissue swells and shrinks with the nasal cycle; enlargement (turbinate hypertrophy) is a common cause of nasal blockage.

Part of Nasal cavity (air space)

Nearby respiratory structures Ethmoid air cells, Frontal sinus, Maxillary sinus, Middle nasal turbinate, Nasal cartilages (septal, lateral and alar), Nasal septum, Nasopharynx, Oropharynx, Sphenoid sinus, Superior nasal turbinate