What are Olfactory Cilia?
“Olfactory cilia” is a fancy way of saying “nose hairs,” but is important to distinguish between the macroscopic nose hairs near the opening of the nostrils, and the microscopic hairs in the olfactory epithelium, the part of the nose which traps smells and communicates them to the brain. The microscopic olfactory cilia play a very important role in the perception of smell, and they perform several other functions for the nose as well. Properly speaking, the visible nose hair is just hair, not cilia. Cilia are specialized biological structures which closely resemble hair, but on a much smaller scale. The nose hair near the front of the nose helps to trap particulate matter, preventing harmful materials from entering the nasal passages and defending the body from potential sources of infection. Because of this important function, many doctors do not recommend trimming nose hair, no matter how aesthetically displeasing it may be. The olfactory cilia inside the nose line the mucus membrane
