What benefits do they bring? Couldn’t we just have a straight airway leading to lungs without all the nooks and crannies?
In: Biology
We’re not 100% sure why sinuses exist
Current working theories are that they help moisturize and warm air coming into your lungs to make it easier to breath particularly in very hot and very cold environments.
They also act as a filter trapping water, dust, bacteria, and viruses in your sinuses so that they can get trapped in mucus rather than affecting the lung tissue. The idea being that a sinus infection is less harmful to you than a lung infection.
Sinuses also make your skull lighter but having air pockets rather than dense bone.
Humans are also notorious for having a weak sense of smell compared to other animals. Having sinuses may be important for capturing an analyzing smells in other animals.
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