Ethmoid Bone

The ethmoid bone is located in front of the sphenoid bone. It consists of two masses, one on each side of the nasal cavity, which is joined horizontally by thin cribriform plates. These plates form part of the roof of the nasal cavity, and nerves (ethmoidal cells) associated with the sense of smell pass through tiny openings in them. Portions of the ethmoid bone also form sections of the cranial floor, eye sockets, and nasal cavity walls. A perpendicular plate projects downward in the middle...

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Anatomy Terms

Anterior Longitudinal Ligament
Bones of the Ear
Bregma
C3 (3rd Cervical Vertebra)
C4 (4th Cervical Vertebra)
C5 (5th Cervical Vertebra)
C6 (6th Cervical Vertebra)
C7 (7th Cervical Vertebra)
Carotid Canal
Choanae
Coronal Suture
Coronoid Process
Ethmoid Bone
Ethmoidal Air Cells
External Acoustic Meatus
External Occipital Protuberance
Foramen Magnum
Foramen Ovale
Fossa of Lacrimal Sac
Frontal Bone
Glabella
Groove for Middle Temporal Artery
Head of Condylar Process
Hyoid Bone
Hypoglossal Canal
Inferior Temporal Line
Infraorbital Foramen
Lacrimal Bone
Lambda
Lambdoid Suture
Mandible
Mandibular Fossa
Mastoid Foramen
Mastoid Process
Maxilla
Median Palatine Suture
Mental Foramen
Nasal Bone
Oblique Line
Occipital Bone
Occipital Condyle
Parietal Bone
Parietal Foramen
Sagittal Suture
Sella Turcica
Sphenoid Bone
Superior Temporal Line
Supraorbital Notch
Teeth
Temporal Bone
Temporal Styloid Process
Vomer
Zygomatic Bone
Zygomaticofacial Foramen

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Full Ethmoid Bone Description

[Continued from above] . . . from the cribriform plates to form the bulk of the nasal septum. Delicate scroll-shaped plates called superior and middle nasal conchae project inward from the sides of the ethmoid bone toward the perpendicular plate. These bones, which are called the turbinate bones, support mucous membranes that line the nasal cavity.