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When you sleep with your mouth open, does air pass through the nasal cavities? If not, how will you describe the air that enters the mouth?

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  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to Biology.SE. I am not sure what you mean by [..] how will you describe the air that enters the mouth? Are you looking for a specific adjective to describe this air? I wrote a short answer, let me know if this was the kind of answer you were looking for. $\endgroup$
    – Remi.b
    Aug 31, 2016 at 3:26

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The oral cavity and the nasal cavity merge into the trachea which yield to the lungs. As a consequence one can breath in and out through the nose or the mouth.

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When you breathe, air follows the path of least resistance. Since the mouth (to pharynx to trachea) has a larger diameter than the nostrils, most of the air will pass through the mouth (unless obstructed by the tongue, etc.)

However, some will enter the nose and proceed towards the lungs by virtue of decreased air pressure in the nasal cavity while inhaling.

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