Olfactory zone is the most interior part of the nose where the sense organs for smell are located. Which description best fits this zone?

• A. It Is The Outermost Opening Of The Nose
• B. It Is The Inner Portion Of The Nose Where Air Is Warmed And Humidified
• C. It Is The Most Interior Part Of The Nose Where The Sense Organs For Smell Are Located
• D. It Is The Area Where The Larynx Connects To The Pharynx

Answer: (C)

The olfactory zone is the superior part of the nasal cavity that contains the olfactory epithelium, where smell receptors reside. Odorants dissolve in a thin mucus layer and bind to receptors on olfactory receptor neurons; their axons travel through the cribriform plate to the olfactory bulb, enabling the sense of smell. The other descriptions point to regions outside this zone—the outer opening is the nostril, the inner part that warms and humidifies air is the respiratory portion, and the area where the larynx connects to the pharynx is in the pharynx, not the nasal olfactory area.