Function
Ethmoid bone provides protection to the brain, nerves, nose, and eye sockets.
Disease/ Injury/ Fracture
The conditions that afflict the ethmoid bone are trauma, nasal fracture, and skull fracture. An upward blow to the nose may shatter the bone into fragments that can penetrate the brain and lead to a fatal condition. In extreme cases, sometimes there is a loss of smell too.
Interesting facts
Birds have ethamoid bone too! Many birds have magnetite deposits on their ethmoid bone that allow them to detect the earth’s magnetic field similar to a compass.
Ethomoid is named because it is full of holes. In greek ethmo andoides means ‘like strainer’.
