What are nostrils?

Nostrils are the openings on your face that let air come in and go out when you breathe.

Imagine your nose is like a tunnel, and your nostrils are like the two doors at either end of that tunnel. When you take a breath, air goes through those doors into the tunnel (your nose), and then it travels all the way to your lungs. When you exhale, air goes back out through the same doors.

How Nostrils Work

Think about when you blow your nose, you’re using your nostrils like little highways for the stuff that’s stuck in there. If your nose is blocked, it's like a traffic jam on those highways, and you can’t breathe as easily.

Nostrils are also kind of like tiny fans, they help move air around so you can smell things better too. When you sniff something sweet, like cake, your nostrils are working hard to bring that smell right into your brain!

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Examples

  1. A child asks, 'Why do I have two holes on my face?'
  2. Someone sneezes and wonders why air came out so fast.
  3. You smell food and realize it started with your nose.

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