Library · Anatomy
Pharynx
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The pharynx is the passage that lies in the midline of the neck, behind the nose and the mouth. What sets it apart is that two systems share it: food passes through it on its way to the digestive tract, and air passes through it on its way to the respiratory system. A crossing where air and food share one path and take turns.
It is funnel shaped and descends to the level of the sixth cervical vertebra, which is a bone of the neck. That is where it ends, and two separate tubes begin: behind it the esophagus, which leads to the stomach, and in front of it the larynx, which leads to the trachea and the lungs.
It is divided into three portions, from top to bottom. The nasopharynx sits behind the openings of the nose; the oropharynx, behind the opening of the mouth; and the laryngopharynx, behind the entrance to the larynx. Three things happen along that route: deglutition of food, that is, swallowing; conduction of air; and production of the voice.
In brief
The pharynx is a conducting structure in the midline of the neck, shared by the digestive tract and the respiratory system.
A crossing where air and food share one path and take turns.
It is funnel shaped and descends to the sixth cervical vertebra, where the esophagus begins behind it and the larynx in front.
It is divided into nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx, and swallowing of food, conduction of air and production of the voice all take place there.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingAnatomy, Head and Neck, Pharynx, StatPearlsPublished
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