How do noses work?
		• Respiration • Air conditioning The cold, dry air we breathe in on a chilly winter’s day will have been transformed into ‘tropical’ air by the time it reaches the lungs. Here is an example of the ability of the nose to heat and moisten the air we inhale:
		• Cleaning (through secretion) • "Detoxification" (biochemical action) The viscous layer of mucous secreted by the nasal mucous membrane is there to intercept pollutants in the air we breathe (dust, pollen, bacteria, viruses, etc.). The cilia, which normally undulate at the rate of 1200 movements per minute, transport the mucous towards the pharynx. Within the cells, there is constant biochemical activity, which in effect functions as a detoxification process.
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