The cribriform plate is a portion of the ethmoid bone that forms the roof of the nasal cavity and the floor of the anterior cranial fossa. It is located between the two orbits and spans the width of the ethmoid bone. The cribriform plate contains numerous small perforations, called the cribriform foramina, which allow the passage of olfactory nerves from the nasal cavity into the cranial cavity. These nerves are responsible for the sense of smell.