pharynx

The section of the alimentary canal that extends from the mouth and nasal cavities to the larynx, where it becomes continuous with the esophagus.

[New Latin pharynx, pharyng-, from Greek pharunx.]

A chamber at the oral end of the vertebrate alimentary canal, leading to the esophagus. In adult humans it is divided anteriorly by the soft palate into a nasopharynx and an oropharynx, lying behind the tongue but anterior to the epiglottis; there is also a retropharyngeal compartment, posterior to both epiglottis and soft palate. The nasopharynx receives the nasal passages and communicates with the two middle ears through auditory tubes. The retropharynx leads to the esophagus and to the larynx, and the paths of breathing and swallowing cross within it. See also Esophagus; Larynx; Palate.

Derived from the Greek for throat, the pharynx is the continuous space behind the nose and the mouth that leads down both to the passage for food and to the passage for air. It has three parts; nasal, oral, and laryngeal. As well as being open to the nose, the nasopharynx is connected to the middle ears by the eustachian (pharyngotympanic) tubes. A passage behind the soft palate leads down to the oral part. When looking at the back of the throat, the arch that can be seen behind the uvula centrally, and behind the tonsils at the sides, is a muscular fold around the opening into the oropharynx. Further down behind the base of the tongue, where the epiglottis stands guard in front of the entry into the larynx (the glottis), the laryngeal part of the pharynx leads down behind that opening to reach the oesophagus. In the wall of the pharynx there are pairs of muscles that join at the centre back and encircle it to reach various attachments in front, including the hyoid bone at the base of the tongue and the cartilage of the ‘Adam's apple’. These muscles can constrict the passages, change the shape of the spaces, or help to close off the different apertures in the various ways that are necessary, for example, during swallowing, speaking, singing, or blowing.

— Sheila Jennett

See respiratory system. See also epiglottis; larynx; nose; swallowing; tongue.

A funnelshaped tube of muscle tissue between the mouth and nares and the esophagus, which is the common pathway for food and air. The nasopharynx lies above the level of the soft palate. The oropharynx lies between the upper edge of the epiglottis and the soft palate, whereas the laryngophar-ynx extends from the upper edge of the epiglottis to the superior end of the esophagus behind the larynx.

For more information on pharynx, visit Britannica.com.

The throat; the musculomembranous crossroads of the digestive and respiratory systems, found behind the nasal cavities and mouth, and rostral to the larynx and esophagus.
The pharynx includes many individual structures and may be divided into three parts: the nasopharynx (above), oropharynx (below) and laryngopharynx (behind). The nasopharynx, connected with the nasal cavities, provides a passage for air during breathing; it also contains the openings of the auditory tubes through which air enters the middle ear. The oropharynx and laryngopharynx provide passageways for both air and food. The pharynx also functions as a resonating organ in vocalization.
The pharynx is subdivided by the soft palate. In swallowing, the palate lifts up, closing off the nasopharynx as food passes from the mouth to the esophagus.

Human pharynx
Head and neck.
Pharynx
Gray's	subject #244 1141
Artery	pharyngeal branches of ascending pharyngeal artery, ascending palatine, descending palatine, pharyngeal branches of inferior thyroid
Vein	pharyngeal veins
Nerve	pharyngeal plexus
MeSH	Pharynx

The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the neck and throat situated immediately posterior to (behind) the mouth and nasal cavity, and cranial, or superior, to the esophagus, larynx, and trachea.

Contents 1 Functions 2 Parts 2.1 Oropharynx 2.2 Nasopharynx 2.3 Laryngopharynx 3 Gallery 4 References 5 See also 6 External links

Functions

The pharynx is part of the digestive system and respiratory system of many organisms.

Because both food and air pass through the pharynx, a flap of connective tissue called the epiglottis closes over the trachea when food is swallowed to prevent choking or aspiration. In humans the pharynx is important in vocalization.

Parts

The human pharynx is conventionally divided into three sections:

Oropharynx

The oropharynx lies behind the oral cavity. The anterior wall consists of the base of the tongue and the epiglottic vallecula; the lateral wall is made up of the tonsil, tonsillar fossa, and tonsillar (faucial) pillars; the superior wall consists of the inferior surface of the soft palate and the uvula.

Nasopharynx

The nasopharynx lies behind the nasal cavity.

Postero-superiorly this extends from the level of the junction of the hard and soft palates to the base of skull, laterally to include the fossa of Rosenmuller.

The inferior wall consists of the superior surface of the soft palate.

Laryngopharynx

The laryngopharynx, also known as the hypopharynx, roughly corresponds to the levels between C4 to C6, it includes the pharyngo-esophageal junction (postcricoid area), the piriform sinus, and the posterior pharyngeal wall.

Like the oropharynx above it the hypopharynx serves as a passageway for food and air and is lined with a stratified squamous epithelium.

It lies inferior to the upright epiglottis and extends to the larynx, where the respiratory and digestive pathways diverge.

At that point, the laryngopharynx is continuous with the esophagus posteriorly. The esophagus conducts food and fluids to the stomach; air enters the larynx anteriorly. During swallowing, food has the "right of way", and air passage temporarily stops.

Gallery

Conducting passages.	Organs of the digestive system.	The entrance to the larynx, viewed from behind.	Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx.
The position and relation of the esophagus in the cervical region and in the posterior mediastinum. Seen from behind.

References

• Stedman's/LWW 1551471
• Human Anatomy and Physiology Elaine N. Marieb and Katja Hoehn, Seventh Edition.
• TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours Sobin LH & Wittekind Ch (eds)Sixth edition UICC 2002 ISBN 0-471-22288-7

See also

• Adenoid
• Eustachian tube
• Hyoid
• Larynx
• Tonsil
• Uvula

External links

Look up human pharynx in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• SUNY Labs 31:st-1401

v • d • e Head and neck, upper RT: Nose (TA A06.1 and 15.1, GA 10.992) External nose Nostril · Nasal septum · Ala of nose nasal cartilages (of the septum, Greater alar, Lesser alar, Lateral nasal, Accessory nasal, Vomeronasal) Olfactory glands Nasal cavity Nasal vestibule · Nasal concha · Sphenoethmoidal recess · Ethmoid bulla · Semilunar hiatus · Maxillary hiatus · Inferior meatus · Vomeronasal organ · Posterior nasal apertures Paranasal sinuses Maxillary sinus · Sphenoidal sinuses · Frontal sinus · Ethmoid sinus Naso-pharynx Pharyngeal opening of auditory tube (Salpingopharyngeal fold, Salpingopalatine fold, Torus tubarius) · Pharyngeal tonsil · Pharyngeal recess respiratory system navs: anat nose,larynx/lower+thoracic cavity/physio/dev, noncongen/congen/tumors, symptoms+signs/eponymous, proc

v • d • e Head and neck anatomy, digestive system: Mouth anatomy (TA A05.1-2, GA 11.1110-2, 1125-1141) Mouth Vestibule of mouth Lip (Upper, Lower, Vermillion border) · Philtrum Oral cavity proper Palate/ roof of mouth Hard palate · Soft palate · Palatine raphe · Incisive papilla Tongue dorsum (Taste bud, Median sulcus, Terminal sulcus, Foramen cecum, Lingual tonsils) · underside (Frenulum, Fimbriated fold, Sublingual caruncle) · Anterior · Posterior · Glossoepiglottic folds Other Teeth · Gingiva (Interdental papilla, Gingival sulcus, Gingival margin) · Oral mucosa · Buccal fat pad Salivary glands Parotid gland/Parotid duct · Submandibular gland/Submandibular duct · Sublingual gland/Major sublingual duct Oro-pharynx arches/fauces (Palatoglossal, Palatopharyngeal) · Oropharyngeal isthmus/Isthmus of the fauces · Palatine tonsil · Uvula mouth navs: anat/dev, noncongen/congen face/congen GI/neoplasia, symptoms, proc

v • d • e Anatomy of torso, digestive system: Gastrointestinal tract, excluding mouth (TA A05.3-7, GA 11.1141) Upper GI Hypo- pharynx Piriform sinus spaces: Peripharyngeal space (Retropharyngeal space, Parapharyngeal space) · Retrovisceral space (Retropharyngeal space, Danger space) · Prevertebral space Pterygomandibular raphe · Pharyngeal raphe · Buccopharyngeal fascia · Pharyngobasilar fascia Pharyngeal muscles Esophagus UES, LES Stomach Gastric rugae · gastric pits · cardia/gland · fundus/gland · pylorus/gland · pyloric antrum · pyloric canal · greater curvature · lesser curvature · angular incisure Lower GI Intestine: small Duodenum (Suspensory muscle, Major duodenal papilla, Minor duodenal papilla, Duodenal cap) • Duodenojejunal flexure • Jejunum • Ileum (Terminal ileum) • Ileocecal valve continuous (intestinal villus, crypts of Lieberkühn, circular folds) Intestine: large Vermiform appendix • Cecum • Colon (ascending colon, hepatic flexure, transverse colon, splenic flexure, descending colon, sigmoid colon) continuous (taenia coli, haustra, epiploic appendix) Termination Rectum: Houston valve • rectal ampulla • pectinate line Anal canal: anal valves • anal sinuses • anal columns • Hilton's white line Anus: Sphincter ani internus muscle • Sphincter ani externus muscle Lymph GALT: Peyer's patches (M cells) digestive system navs: anat of tract,glands,perit,diaphragm/physio/dev, noncongen/congen/congen of d+w/neoplasia, symptoms+signs/eponymous, proc

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - svælg

Nederlands (Dutch)
keelholte

Français (French)
n. - pharynx

Deutsch (German)
n. - Rachen, Schlund

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ανατ.) φάρυγγας

Italiano (Italian)
faringe

Português (Portuguese)
n. - faringe (f) (Anat.)

Русский (Russian)
глотка

Español (Spanish)
n. - faringe

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - svalg (anat.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
咽头

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 咽頭

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 인두

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 咽頭

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) بلعوم, بلعم‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮לוע‬

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