Structural and histological features of the nasal cavity of sea turtles are largely different from those of other Testudines species. The sea turtle nasal cavity is a pair of tubular structures with three diverticula and an excavation in the center, and three types of sensory epithelium are present in these four significant structures. To more clarify the adaptation of the nasal cavity to marine life style in sea turtles, non-sensory epithelium in the nasal cavity of green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) were histologically determined from nostril to choanae in this study. Unlike many other animals including terrestrial turtles, the vestibular area and nasopharyngeal duct were all lined by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. In the main nasal cavity, the margins of each sensory epithelium turned into respiratory epithelium with goblet cells, followed by keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. Keratinized epithelium appears more appropriate in sea turtle upper airway to protect against osmotic pressure when they release seawater through the nostrils, and thus this histological feature of upper airway might reflect adaptation to marine life style.

海龟鼻腔的结构和组织学特征与其他Testudines物种的结构和组织学特征有很大不同。海龟鼻腔是一对管状结构，中心有三个憩室和一个基坑，在这四个重要结构中存在三种类型的感觉上皮。为了进一步阐明鼻腔对海龟海洋生物的适应性，绿海龟鼻腔中的非感觉上皮（Chelonia mydas在这项研究中，从鼻孔到鼻腔的组织学确定。与包括陆龟在内的许多其他动物不同，前庭区域和鼻咽管都衬有角质化分层鳞状上皮细胞。在主鼻腔中，每个感觉上皮的边缘变成带有杯状细胞的呼吸上皮，然后是角质化的分层鳞状上皮。角化上皮在海龟上呼吸道通过鼻孔释放海水时似乎更适合防止渗透压，因此上呼吸道的这种组织学特征可能反映了对海洋生活方式的适应。