Dominic Stone
The throat is a muscular tube that acts as a passageway for air, food and liquid. It is made up of the pharynx and larynx, which are surrounded by muscles. The pharynx is the muscle-lined space that connects the nose and mouth to the larynx and oesophagus. The larynx, or voice box, is a cylindrical grouping of muscles, cartilages and soft tissue that contains the vocal cords. The stylopharyngeus muscle is unique as it's the only pharyngeal muscle innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Description | Ring-like muscular tube |
| Function | Acts as a passageway for air, food and liquid |
| Location | Behind the nose and mouth |
| Connection | Connects the mouth and nose to the trachea, lungs and oesophagus |
| Speech | Helps in forming speech |
| Muscle | Stylopharyngeus |
| Muscle | Salpingopharyngeus |
| Muscle | Palatopharyngeus |
| Muscle | Superior and middle pharyngeal constrictors |
| Muscle | Hypopharynx |
| Muscle | Larynx |
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What You'll Learn
- The pharynx is a muscle-lined space that connects the nose and mouth to the larynx and oesophagus
- The larynx is a cylindrical grouping of muscles, cartilages and soft tissue that contains the vocal cords
- The stylopharyngeus is a pharyngeal muscle that elevates the pharynx and larynx during swallowing
- The salpingopharyngeus assists in elevating the pharynx and larynx during swallowing and contributes to the opening of the Eustachian tube
- The hypopharynx is the most inferior portion of the pharynx
The pharynx is a muscle-lined space that connects the nose and mouth to the larynx and oesophagus
The pharynx is made up of several muscles, including the stylopharyngeus, which originates from the styloid process and inserts into the posterior border of the thyroid cartilage. It is the only pharyngeal muscle innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX). The stylopharyngeus helps to elevate the pharynx and larynx during swallowing.
Another muscle that forms part of the pharynx is the salpingopharyngeus, which originates from the cartilage posterior to the opening of the Eustachian tube and inserts into the fibres of the palatopharyngeus muscle. The palatopharyngeus forms the posterior pillar of the palatine tonsil. The salpingopharyngeus is innervated by the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) and assists in elevating the pharynx and larynx during swallowing. It also contributes to the opening of the Eustachian tube to equalise middle ear pressure.
The posterior wall of the oropharynx is formed by the overlapping superior and middle pharyngeal constrictors and their overlying mucous membrane. The glossopharyngeal nerve and the stylopharyngeus muscle enter the pharynx at the border between the superior and middle constrictors. The hypopharynx, or laryngopharynx, constitutes the most inferior portion of the pharynx.
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The larynx is a cylindrical grouping of muscles, cartilages and soft tissue that contains the vocal cords
The throat is a muscular tube that acts as a passageway for air, food and liquid. It is made up of the pharynx and the larynx.
The larynx, also known as the voice box, is a cylindrical grouping of muscles, cartilages and soft tissue that contains the vocal cords. It is located in the middle of the neck, just above the trachea and the oesophagus. The larynx is about 4-5cm long and wide.
The larynx is made up of three parts: the supraglottis, the glottis and the subglottis. Each of these parts has different types of cartilage, muscle, ligaments and membranes. The glottis is the only part that contains the vocal folds (vocal cords). The vocal cords are four folds of fibro-elastic tissue, two superior and two inferior. The superior vocal cords are thin and ribbon-shaped, while the inferior vocal cords are wider and have a muscular fascicle covering their entire length. The inferior vocal cords are the only ones capable of approaching each other and are therefore considered to be the true vocal folds.
The larynx is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX) and the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X). Its primary function is to elevate the pharynx and larynx during swallowing. It also helps to equalise middle ear pressure.
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The stylopharyngeus is a pharyngeal muscle that elevates the pharynx and larynx during swallowing
The throat is a muscular tube that acts as the passageway for air, food and liquid. It is made up of the pharynx and the larynx.
The pharynx is a muscle-lined space that connects the nose and mouth to the larynx and oesophagus. The larynx, also known as the voice box, is a cylindrical grouping of cartilages, muscles and soft tissue that contains the vocal cords.
The stylopharyngeus is a pharyngeal muscle that originates from the styloid process and inserts into the posterior border of the thyroid cartilage. It is unique as it's the only pharyngeal muscle innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX). Its primary function is to elevate the pharynx and larynx during swallowing. This movement allows the passage of a large food bolus, thereby facilitating swallowing.
The stylopharyngeus muscle is long, slender and tapered. It is cylindrical superiorly, and flattened inferiorly. It passes inferior-ward along the side of the pharynx between the superior pharyngeal constrictor and the middle pharyngeal constrictor. The stylopharyngeus muscle, along with two other styloid muscles, i.e., the styloglossus muscle and the stylohyoid muscle, form the 'bunch of Riolanus'. It is the most vertical and medial among all the three styloid muscles.
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The salpingopharyngeus assists in elevating the pharynx and larynx during swallowing and contributes to the opening of the Eustachian tube
The throat is a muscular tube that acts as a passageway for air, food and liquid. It is made up of the pharynx and larynx. The pharynx is a muscle-lined space that connects the nose and mouth to the larynx and oesophagus. The larynx, or voice box, is a cylindrical grouping of cartilages, muscles and soft tissue that contains the vocal cords.
The salpingopharyngeus is a muscle of the pharynx. It originates from the cartilage posterior to the opening of the Eustachian tube and inserts into the fibres of the palatopharyngeus muscle. It is innervated by the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X). The salpingopharyngeus assists in elevating the pharynx and larynx during swallowing. It also contributes to the opening of the Eustachian tube to equalise middle ear pressure.
The salpingopharyngeus is one of the inner longitudinal muscles of the pharynx. It is a paired slender muscle that creates vertical ridges of mucous membrane in the posterior pharyngeal wall. The muscle descends from the medial ends of the Eustachian tubes, which are called the salpingopharyngeal folds.
The salpingopharyngeus is absent in about 40% of individuals. It is more common in thin people. The muscle is relaxed during deglutition (swallowing) but contracts at all other times.
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The hypopharynx is the most inferior portion of the pharynx
The throat is a ring-like muscular tube that acts as the passageway for air, food and liquid. The pharynx is the muscle-lined space that connects the nose and mouth to the larynx and oesophagus.
The hypopharynx, also known as the laryngopharynx, is the most inferior portion of the pharynx. It is the continuation of the oropharynx superiorly and both the larynx and oesophagus inferiorly. It is a mucosa-lined, muscular tube with its posterolateral walls formed by the inferior constrictor muscle and anterior wall by laryngeal cartilages. The hypopharynx is the point at which the pharynx divides anteriorly into the larynx and posteriorly into the oesophagus. The act of swallowing, or deglutination, is a complex multistep process performed by several essential structures in the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. It ensures the proper transport of food and water posteriorly into the oesophagus at the level of the hypopharynx.
The hypopharynx is made up of the pyriform sinuses, the lowest part of the posterior pharyngeal wall, and the post-arytenoid/post-cricoid areas. The posterior pharyngeal wall protrudes forward and seems to contact the posterior surface of the arytenoid cartilages. The borders of the hypopharynx are the hyoid bone superiorly and the upper oesophageal sphincter (UES), or cricopharyngeus muscle, inferiorly. The anterior boundary of the hypopharynx consists largely of the laryngeal inlet, which includes the epiglottis and the paired aryepiglottic folds and arytenoid cartilages.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the throat is a ring-like muscular tube that acts as a passageway for air, food and liquid.
The muscles in the throat include the stylopharyngeus, salpingopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus, superior and middle pharyngeal constrictors, and the cricopharyngeus.
The muscles in the throat help with swallowing, forming speech, and equalising middle ear pressure.
The pharynx is the muscle-lined space that connects the nose and mouth to the larynx and oesophagus.
