| Human paranasal sinuses and selective brain cooling: A ventilation system activated by yawning? | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 21906886 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
The function of the paranasal sinuses has been a controversial subject since the time of Galen, with many different theories advanced about their biological significance. For one, the paranasal sinuses have been regarded as warmers of respiratory air, when in actuality these structures appear to function in cooling the blood. In fact, human paranasal sinuses have been shown to have higher volumes in individuals living in warmer climates, and thus may be considered radiators of the brain. The literature suggests that the transfer of cool venous blood from the paranasal sinuses to the dura mater may provide a mechanism for the convection process of cooling produced by the evaporation of mucus within human sinuses. In turn, the dura mater may transmit these temperature changes, initiated by the cool venous blood from the heat-dissipating surfaces of the sinuses, to the cerebrospinal fluid compartments. Furthermore, it has recently been demonstrated in cadaveric dissections that the thin bony posterior wall of the maxillary sinus serves as an origin for both medial and lateral pterygoid muscle segments, an anatomic finding that had been previously underappreciated in the literature. The present authors hypothesize that the thin posterior wall of the maxillary sinus may flex during yawning, operating like a bellows pump, actively ventilating the sinus system, and thus facilitating brain cooling. Such a powered ventilation system has not previously been described in humans, although an analogous system has been reported in birds. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Andrew C Gallup; Gary D Hack |
Related Documents
:
|
20443776 - A stress repair mechanism that maintains vertebrate structure during stress. 10964326 - Prognostic significance of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction measurement ... 18028956 - Sublethal trauma model with systemic endotoxemia for the study of microcirculatory diso... 20597486 - Design and synthesis of bis-biotin-containing reagents for applications utilizing monoc... 11698626 - Increase in hepatic arterial blood flow after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic s... 3209126 - Protective effects of vitamins e and c on erythrocytes in blood preserved in acd soluti... |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2011-9-7 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Medical hypotheses Volume: - ISSN: 1532-2777 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2011 Sep |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2011-9-12 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 7505668 Medline TA: Med Hypotheses Country: - |
Other Details:
|
Languages: ENG Pagination: - Citation Subset: - |
Copyright Information:
|
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Affiliation:
|
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, United States. |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
|
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Comfort food is comforting to those most stressed: Evidence of the chronic stress response network i...
Next Document: Iridescence in beef caused by multilayer interference from sarcomere discs.