#4 Right Below Your Nose
A persons nose can be a touchy topic. It is the part of the body that gets the most number of corrective surgeries. Being at the center of your face your nose can make or break you. Heck it can even tell you a lot about someone's personality.
But there is still one important part of our face that we ignore. It is a part that is found right below our nose. What is this part?
#3 Philtrum
This part is called the Philtrum. The philtrum or medial cleft, is a vertical groove in the middle area of the upper lip. It is a feature that is common to many mammals. It extends from the nose to the upper lip.
While every human is different the philtrum can be found on everyone. It is sometimes a bit prominent in certain people and sometimes a lot less so. But it is always there. What function does it serve?
#2 The Philtrum's Function
In most mammals, the philtrum is a narrow groove that may carry moisture from the mouth to the rhinarium or nose pad through capillary action, to keep the nose wet. A wet nose pad is able to trap odor particles better than a dry one, thus it greatly enhances the function of the olfactory system.
So that's the function of the Philtrum? Nope. The term 'Most mamamals' does not necessarily include humans. So what does it do for humans?
#1 In Utero
The indent, called the philtrum, is just a residual reminder of your time in the womb: in utero, the two sides of your face develop independent of one another, then join at the middle. When the two sides fail to fuse properly, the result is a cleft palate, which occurs in about 1 of every 750 births.
Watch this video and see exactly how it all comes together.
