posterior nasal apertures
Also known as choanae, choana
thumb|right|The choanae (internal nostrils) of a cat, indicated by the dashed lines and bounded by the vomer (blue gray) and the [[palatine bone (orange)]]
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Choana
- Anatomy.Latin
- choana, apertura nasalis posterior
- Anatomy.Image
- File:Gray855.png
- Anatomy.Caption
- Lateral wall of nasal cavity.
- Anatomy.Image2
- 140px
- Anatomy.Caption2
- Dissection of the muscles of the palate from behind. (Choanae visible at center top.)
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
5 sectionsContents
- Boundaries
- Etymology
- Choanae in different animals
- Fish
- References
thumb|right|The choanae (internal nostrils) of a cat, indicated by the dashed lines and bounded by the vomer (blue gray) and the [[palatine bone (orange)]]
The choanae (: choana), posterior nasal apertures or internal nostrils are two openings found at the back of the nasal passage between the nasal cavity and the pharynx, in humans and other mammals (as well as crocodilians and most skinks). They are considered one of the most important synapomorphies of tetrapodomorphs, that allowed the passage from water to land.