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The pharynx, commonly known as the throat, is a muscular tube that connects the nasal cavity to the oesophagus and larynx. It is a vital part of the digestive and respiratory systems, allowing air, food and liquid to travel from the nose and mouth to the lungs and stomach. The pharynx is made up of several muscles, including the stylopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus, and salpingopharyngeus, which work together to change the size and shape of the pharynx during essential human functions such as breathing, swallowing, and speaking.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Description | The pharynx is a muscular tube that connects the nasal cavities to the larynx and oesophagus. |
| Location | The pharynx is located in the middle of the neck, below the lower part of the skull and above the oesophagus and larynx. |
| Function | The pharynx is essential for breathing, swallowing, preventing aspiration, and speaking. |
| Length | The pharynx is about 4-5 inches long. |
| Parts | The pharynx is divided into three main sections: the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx. |
| Muscles | The pharyngeal muscles include the superior constrictor, palatopharyngeus (PP), stylopharyngeus (STP), salpingopharyngeus (SLP), and inferior constrictor. |
| Innervation | The pharyngeal muscles are innervated by the pharyngeal plexus and the vagus nerve (CN X), except for the stylopharyngeus, which is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX). |
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What You'll Learn
- The pharynx is a muscular tube that connects the nasal cavities to the larynx and oesophagus
- The pharyngeal plexus supplies motor and sensory innervation to the pharynx
- The pharynx is divided into three main sections: nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx
- The pharyngeal muscles are organised into an outer circular layer and an inner longitudinal layer
- The stylopharyngeus muscle originates from the styloid process and functions to elevate and expand the pharynx
The pharynx is a muscular tube that connects the nasal cavities to the larynx and oesophagus
The pharynx is a vital part of the human body, enabling essential functions such as breathing, swallowing, and speaking. It is a muscular tube that connects the nasal cavities to the larynx and oesophagus, facilitating the passage of air, food, and liquids from the nose and mouth to the lungs and stomach. The pharynx is located in the middle of the neck, sitting just below the lower part of the skull.
The pharynx is made up of three main sections: the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx. These different parts work together to ensure the smooth passage of substances and regulate the entry of food into the oesophagus and air into the respiratory system. The pharynx is mostly muscle, with some cartilage at the back. The muscles of the pharynx are categorised into two main groups: longitudinal and circular. These muscles allow the pharynx to change its size and shape, contracting sequentially to propel food downwards into the oesophagus.
The pharyngeal muscles play a crucial role in the pharynx's functionality. For example, the stylopharyngeus muscle elevates and expands the pharynx laterally, and it is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX). The pharyngeal plexus, formed by branches of cranial nerves IX and X, provides motor and sensory innervation to the pharynx. The pharyngeal branches of the vagus nerve (CN X) supply motor innervation to all pharyngeal muscles except the stylopharyngeus.
The pharynx is a highly vascularised structure with a rich network of blood vessels. The constrictor muscles receive vascular supply from branches of the facial and inferior thyroid arteries. Additionally, the pharynx has a complex lymphatic drainage system with specific paths for different anatomical locations. The coordination of the pharyngeal muscles with the laryngeal and tongue muscles is essential for efficient breathing, swallowing, and speaking.
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The pharyngeal plexus supplies motor and sensory innervation to the pharynx
The pharynx is a muscular tube that sits in the middle of the neck, connecting the oral cavity to the oesophagus. It is responsible for breathing and digesting food. The pharyngeal plexus is the main nervous plexus that supplies the pharynx. It lies on the posterolateral wall of the pharynx, mainly over the middle pharyngeal constrictor.
The pharyngeal plexus is a nerve plexus located on the outer surface of the pharynx. It provides motor and sensory innervation to the pharynx and the soft palate. The motor branches come from the pharyngeal plexus and carry fibres from the vagus nerve. These fibres provide motor innervation to all the muscles of the pharynx, except the stylopharyngeus muscle and the tensor veli palatini. The stylopharyngeus muscle is supplied by the glossopharyngeal nerve, while the tensor veli palatini is supplied by the mandibular nerve.
The pharyngeal plexus is formed by the pharyngeal branches from the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves, and the cervical sympathetic. The pharyngeal plexus sends some branches between the middle and inferior constrictors and other branches between the superior and middle constrictors. It provides sensory innervation to most of the pharynx, including the oropharynx and laryngopharynx. The pharyngeal plexus also acts to coordinate swallowing and speech.
The levator veli palatini muscle receives its nerve supply through the pharyngeal plexus or through both the pharyngeal plexus and branches of the facial nerve. The muscle of the uvula has been reported to receive dual innervation from the pharyngeal plexus and the lesser palatine nerve, as well as sole innervation from either nerve. Lesions may cause dysfunction of the pharyngeal plexus, leading to sensory loss and weakness on one side of the pharynx and soft palate.
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The pharynx is divided into three main sections: nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx
The pharynx, commonly referred to as the throat, is a muscular tube that sits in the middle of the neck, below the skull and above the oesophagus and larynx. It is about 4 to 5 inches long and is made up of mostly muscle, with some cartilage at the back. The pharynx is a multitasking structure that helps with breathing, speaking, and digestion.
The oropharynx is in the middle of the throat and connects to the oral cavity. It contains the palatine tonsils at the base of the tongue. Air, food, and fluid all pass through the oropharynx. The oropharynx also houses the superior pharyngeal constrictor, which originates from the pterygomandibular ligament, alveolar process of the mandible, medial pterygoid plate, and pterygoid hamulus of the sphenoid bone.
The laryngopharynx, or hypopharynx, is the most distal part of the pharynx, located between the epiglottis and the cricoid cartilage. It is continuous with the oesophagus and communicates with the larynx through the laryngeal inlet. The laryngopharynx contains the middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictors. The middle pharyngeal constrictor originates from the stylohyoid ligament and the horns of the hyoid bone, while the inferior pharyngeal constrictor has two components: thyropharyngeal fibres, which originate from the thyroid cartilage, and cricopharyngeal fibres, which originate from the cricoid cartilage.
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The pharyngeal muscles are organised into an outer circular layer and an inner longitudinal layer
The pharynx, commonly referred to as the throat, is a muscular tube in the middle of the neck. It is part of the digestive system and is located posterior to the oral cavity and larynx. The pharynx is a continuous muscular passage that allows air, food and liquid to travel from the nose and mouth to the lungs and stomach.
The pharyngeal muscles are organised into two layers: an outer circular layer and an inner longitudinal layer. The outer circular layer is made up of three constrictor muscles: the superior, middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictors. The superior constrictor muscle originates from the pterygoid process, the posterior end of the mandible's mylohyoid line, and the pterygomandibular raphe. It inserts into the pharyngeal tubercle and the pharyngeal raphe, narrowing the upper pharyngeal segment and closing the nasopharynx during swallowing. The middle constrictor arises from the greater and lesser horns of the hyoid bone and the stylohyoid ligament. The inferior constrictor is subdivided into the thyropharyngeus superiorly and the cricopharyngeus inferiorly.
The inner longitudinal layer consists of the palatopharyngeus, salpingopharyngeus, and stylopharyngeus muscles. These muscles act to elevate the pharynx and larynx, aiding in swallowing. The stylopharyngeus muscle originates from the styloid process of the temporal bone and inserts onto the thyroid cartilage, blending with the fibres of the palatopharyngeus muscle. The palatopharyngeus muscle begins at the posterior hard palate and the palatine aponeurosis, inserting onto the thyroid cartilage.
The pharyngeal muscles receive dual innervation from the glossopharyngeal nerve (ninth cranial nerve or cranial nerve IX) and the vagus nerve (10th cranial nerve or cranial nerve X). These nerves facilitate the synchronous propulsion of food from the oral cavity to the oesophagus.
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The stylopharyngeus muscle originates from the styloid process and functions to elevate and expand the pharynx
The pharynx, commonly referred to as the throat, is a muscular tube that sits in the middle of the neck, connecting the nose and mouth to the lungs and stomach. It is a highly vascularised anatomical structure, with a rich amount of arterial anastomoses. The pharynx is essential for breathing, speaking, and digesting food.
The stylopharyngeus muscle is a long, slender, and tapered pharyngeal muscle. It is the most vertical and medial of the three styloid muscles, which also include the styloglossus and stylohyoid muscles. Together, these muscles form the 'bunch of Riolanus'. The stylopharyngeus muscle is the only pharyngeal muscle that does not originate in the pharyngeal wall, instead originating from the styloid process of the temporal bone.
The stylopharyngeus muscle functions to elevate and expand the pharynx. This movement is crucial for swallowing, as it allows for the passage of a large food bolus. The elevation of the pharynx causes compression of the lateral laryngeal walls, which further compresses the pharynx over the food bolus during swallowing. The stylopharyngeus muscle is also involved in dilating the nasopharynx, which is significant for breathing.
The stylopharyngeus muscle receives innervation from the ninth cranial nerve, also known as the glossopharyngeal nerve. This nerve provides motor innervations to the muscle and allows it to perform its functions effectively. The stylopharyngeus muscle is a crucial component of the pharyngeal system, facilitating essential processes such as swallowing and breathing.
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Frequently asked questions
The pharynx, commonly called the throat, is a muscular tube in the middle of your neck. It helps you breathe and digest food.
The pharynx is responsible for breathing, swallowing, preventing aspiration, and speaking.
The pharyngeal muscles are organised into two main groups: longitudinal and circular. The longitudinal muscles include the palatopharyngeus (PP), stylopharyngeus (STP), and salpingopharyngeus (SLP). The stylopharyngeus muscle elevates the pharynx and expands it laterally.
