Editing Nasal concha (section)

==Structure==
Conchae are composed of [[pseudostratified epithelium|pseudostratified]] [[Columnar epithelia|columnar]], [[ciliated]] [[respiratory epithelium]] with a thick, [[Blood vessel|vascular]], and erectile [[glandular]] tissue layer.<ref name="Reddy">[http://www.utmb.edu/otoref/grnds/Turbinate-2003-0312/Turbinate-2003-0312.htm Turbinate Dysfunction: Focus on the role of the inferior turbinates in nasal airway obstruction.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622070021/http://www.utmb.edu/otoref/Grnds/Turbinate-2003-0312/Turbinate-2003-0312.htm |date=2006-06-22 }} S.S. Reddy, et al. ''Grand Rounds Presentation, UTMB, Dept. of Otolaryngology''</ref> The conchae are located laterally in the nasal cavities, curling [[Human Anatomical Terms#Anatomical directions|medial]]ly and downward into the nasal airway. Each pair is composed of one concha in either side of the nasal cavity, divided by the [[Nasal septum|septum]].<ref name="Reddy"/>

The ''[[Superior nasal concha|superior conchae]]'' are smaller structures, connected to the middle conchae by nerve-endings, and serve to protect the [[olfactory bulb]].  The [[Superior nasal concha|superior conchae]] attach to the [[ethmoid bone]]. The openings to the posterior ethmoidal sinuses exist under the superior meatus.<ref name="Gray"/> The [[sphenoid sinus]] ostium exists medial to the superior turbinate.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Millar |first1=D. Anderson |last2=Orlandi |first2=Richard R. |date=2006 |title=The sphenoid sinus natural ostium is consistently medial to the superior turbinate |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16686384/ |journal=American Journal of Rhinology |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=180–181 |doi=10.1177/194589240602000212 |issn=1050-6586 |pmid=16686384|s2cid=20061049 }}</ref>

The ''[[Middle nasal concha|middle conchae]]'' are smaller but have the most complex anatomy of the nasal turbinates. They originate from the lateral edge of the [[cribriform plate]] of the [[ethmoid bone]]. They insert anteriorly into the [[Frontal process of maxilla|frontal process]] of the [[maxilla]] and posteriorly into the [[Perpendicular plate of palatine bone|perpendicular plate]] of the [[palatine bone]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Hye Yeon |last2=Kim |first2=Chang-Hoon |last3=Kim |first3=Jin Young |last4=Kim |first4=Jin Kook |last5=Song |first5=Mee Hyun |last6=Yang |first6=Hee Jun |last7=Kim |first7=Kyung-Su |last8=Chung |first8=In Hyunk |last9=Lee |first9=Jeung-Gweon |last10=Yoon |first10=Joo-Heon |date=September 2006 |title=Surgical anatomy of the middle turbinate |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16258979/ |journal=Clinical Anatomy |volume=19 |issue=6 |pages=493–496 |doi=10.1002/ca.20202 |issn=0897-3806 |pmid=16258979|s2cid=5720770 }}</ref> There are three mutually perpendicular segments of the middle turbinate: from proximal to distal, there is the horizontal segment ([[axial plane]]), the [[basal lamella]] ([[coronal plane]]), and the vertical segment ([[sagittal plane]]). They project downwards over the openings of the [[maxillary sinus|maxillary]] and [[ethmoid sinus|anterior and middle ethmoid]] sinuses, and act as buffers to protect the sinuses from coming in direct contact with pressurized nasal airflow. Most inhaled airflow travels between the inferior concha and the [[middle meatus]].<ref name="Gray"/> In humans, they are usually as long as the [[little finger]].

The ''[[Inferior nasal concha|inferior conchae]]'' are the largest turbinates, can be as long as the [[index finger]] in humans, and are responsible for the majority of airflow direction, humidification, heating, and filtering of air inhaled through the nose.<ref name="Gray"/>

The ''[[Inferior nasal concha|inferior conchae]]'' are graded 1–4 based on the inferior concha classification system (known as the ''inferior turbinate classification system'') in which the total amount of the airway space that the inferior concha takes up is estimated. Grade 1 is 0–25% of the airway, grade 2 is 26–50% of the airway, grade 3 is 51–75% of the airway and grade 4 is 76–100% of the airway.<ref name="TurbinateGrades">{{cite journal | last1 = Camacho | first1 = M. | last2 = Zaghi | first2 = S. | last3 = Certal | first3 = V. | last4 = Abdullatif | first4 = J. | last5 = Means | first5 = C. | last6 = Acevedo | first6 = J. | last7 = Liu | first7 = S. | last8 = Brietzke | first8 = S. E. | last9 = Kushida | first9 = C. A. | last10 = Capasso | first10 = R. | year = 2014 | title = Inferior Turbinate classification system, grades 1 to 4: Development and validation study | journal = The Laryngoscope | volume =  125| issue = 2 | pages =  296–302| doi = 10.1002/lary.24923 | pmid = 25215619 | s2cid = 34156218 }}</ref>

There is sometimes a pair of ''[[supreme nasal concha|supreme conchae]]'' superior to the superior conchae. When present, these usually take the form of a small crest.