Sphenoid sinus

Definition

The sphenoid sinus is one of the four pairs of paranasal sinuses that are located in the body of the sphenoid bone, behind the nasal cavity and beneath the brain. It is involved in humidifying and filtering air breathed in through the nose.

Related terms

Paranasal Sinuses: Air-filled spaces within the bones of the skull and face that warm, moisten, and filter air breathed through the nose.

Sphenoid Bone:

A complex bone at the base of the skull that helps form the floor of the cranial cavity, holding up important structures including those of the brain above it.

Nasal Cavity:

The large air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face, which serves as a passageway for air to enter into our lungs after being filtered by structures like the sphenoid sinus