Throat Anatomy Main
Description
Name
- Throat
- Pharynx
General
- Pharynx is muscular tube that connects oral and nasal cavity to larynx and esophagus
- Begins at the base of the skull, ends at the inferior border of cricoid cartilage (C6)
- Composed of nasopharynx, oropharynx, laryngopharynx
Nasopharynx
- Found between the base of the skull and the soft palate
- Continuous with nasal cavity
- Respiratory role: humidifies/ warms inspired air, propogates to larynx
- Lined with respiratory epithelium (ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium with goblet cell)
- Contains the adenoid tonsils, which enlarge around age 3-8 then regress
Oropharynx
- Middle layer of the pharynx between the soft palate and superior border of epiglottis
- Contents: posterior 1/3 of tongue, lingual tonsils, palatine tonsils, superior constructor muscle
- Waldeyer’s ring: ring of lymphoid tissue formed by the paired palatine tonsils, the adenoid tonsils and lingual tonsil
Laryngopharynx
- The most distal part of the pharynx between superior border of epiglottis and cricoid cartilage
- Continuous inferiorly with the esophagus
- Found posterior to the larynx, communicates via the laryngeal inlet
- Contains middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictors
- Circular
- Superior pharyngeal constrictor
- Middle pharyngeal constrictor
- Inferior pharyngeal constrictor
- Longitudinal
- Stylopharyngeus
- Palatopharyngeus
- Salpingopharyngeus
Innervation
- Pharyngeal plexus
- Pharyngeal branches from the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
- Pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve (CN X)
- Branches from the external laryngeal nerve
- Sympathetic fibres from the superior cervical ganglion
Vascular Supply
- Branches of the external carotid artery
- Ascending pharyngeal artery
- Branches of the facial artery
- Branches of the lingual and maxillary arteries
Clinical Significance
- Needs to be updated