nasal concha

nasal concha n any of three thin bony plates on the lateral wall of the nasal fossa on each side with or without their covering of mucous membrane:

a) a separate curved bony plate that is the largest of the three and separates the inferior and middle meatuses of the nose called also inferior concha, inferior nasal concha, inferior turbinate, inferior turbinate bone, maxilloturbinal

b) the lower of two thin bony processes of the ethmoid bone on the lateral wall of each nasal fossa that separates the superior and middle meatuses of the nose called also middle concha, middle nasal concha, middle turbinate, middle turbinate bone, nasoturbinal

c) the upper of two thin bony processes of the ethmoid bone on the lateral wall of each nasal fossa that forms the upper boundary of the superior meatus of the nose called also superior concha, superior nasal concha, superior turbinate, superior turbinate bone

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any of three thin scroll-like bones that form the sides of the nasal cavity. The superior and middle nasal conchae are part of the ethmoid bone; the inferior nasal conchae are a separate pair of bones of the face. See skull.