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Diagram showing the parts of the pharynx. Date: 30 July 2014 (released by CRUK) Source: Original email from CRUK: Author: Cancer Research UK: Permission (Reusing this file) This image has been released as part of an open knowledge project by Cancer Research UK. If re-used, attribute to Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons
The pharynx (pl.: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the esophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs respectively). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its structure varies across species. The pharynx carries food to the esophagus and air to the larynx.
The epiglottis functions to guard the entrance of the glottis, the opening between the vocal folds. It is normally pointed upward during breathing with its underside functioning as part of the pharynx, but during swallowing, the epiglottis folds down to a more horizontal position, with its upper side functioning as part of the pharynx.
It works with the mouth, ears and nose, as well as a number of other parts of the body. Its pharynx is connected to the mouth, allowing speech to occur, and food and liquid to pass down the throat. It is joined to the nose by the nasopharynx at the top of the throat, and to the ear by its Eustachian tube. [4]
In humans and other mammals, the anatomy of a typical respiratory system is the respiratory tract.The tract is divided into an upper and a lower respiratory tract.The upper tract includes the nose, nasal cavities, sinuses, pharynx and the part of the larynx above the vocal folds.
In a multicellular organism, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in a structural unit to serve a common function. [1] In the hierarchy of life, an organ lies between tissue and an organ system. Tissues are formed from same type cells to act together in a function. Tissues of different types combine to form an organ which has a specific ...
The pharyngeal plexus is a nerve plexus located upon the outer surface of the pharynx. It contains a motor component (derived from the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X)), a sensory component (derived from the glossopharyngeal nerve (cranial nerve IX)), and sympathetic component (derived from the superior cervical ganglion). [1]
As soon as a bolus of food is received in the pharynx, elevator muscles relax, and the pharynx descends. The inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle, along with the other constrictors, contract upon the bolus, and convey it downward into the esophagus. [4] [7] During swallowing, they contract and cause peristalsis in the pharynx. [4]