Pharynx
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The pharynx, or throat, is the muscular tube behind the nose and mouth that carries air to the larynx and food to the esophagus.
Also: throat, pharynges
Definition
What is the pharynx?
The pharynx is a funnel-shaped tube of skeletal muscle lined with mucous membrane, about 13 centimeters long, extending from the underside of the skull down to roughly the sixth cervical vertebra. It lies behind the nasal cavity, the mouth and the larynx and is shared by the respiratory and digestive systems. It has three parts. The nasopharynx, behind the nose and above the soft palate, carries only air and receives the openings of the auditory (Eustachian) tubes from the middle ears. The oropharynx, behind the mouth, carries both air and food, and the laryngopharynx below it opens forward into the larynx and backward into the esophagus.
In swallowing, the soft palate and uvula lift to seal off the nasal passage, the epiglottis covers the larynx, and constrictor muscles in the pharyngeal wall squeeze the food down into the esophagus. The pharynx also shapes the sound of the voice. A ring of lymphoid tissue in its walls, made up of the adenoids (pharyngeal tonsil), the palatine tonsils and the lingual tonsil and called Waldeyer's ring, traps microbes entering through the nose and mouth.
Pharyngitis, a sore throat usually caused by viruses and sometimes by streptococcal bacteria, is very common. In children, enlarged adenoids can block the auditory tubes and lead to middle ear infections.
Word parts
Where does the word “pharynx” come from?
- pharynx
- throatGreek pharynx
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Related
Terms that go with it
- LarynxThe larynx, or voice box, is the cartilage-framed passage in the neck between the pharynx and trachea that guards the airway and produces the voice.
- EsophagusThe esophagus is the muscular tube, about 25 centimeters long, that carries swallowed food and liquid from the pharynx down to the stomach.
- DigestionDigestion is the process by which the body breaks food down, by chewing, churning and enzymes, into molecules small enough to absorb into the blood.
- Lymph nodeA lymph node is a small, bean-shaped organ of the lymphatic system that filters lymph and is where lymphocytes meet antigens to start immune responses.
- Gas exchangeGas exchange is the movement of oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of it by diffusion across thin membranes, mainly in the lungs and tissues.
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology 2e, 22.1 Organs and Structures of the Respiratory System
- SEER Training Modules: Pharynx
- NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: pharynx
- NCBI MeSH: Pharynx
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