Head and Neck 6: Pharynx and face

Pharynx

• funnel-shaped fibromuscular tube extending about 12 cm from the base of the skull to the lower border of the cricoid cartilage

• anterior wall is open where it communicates with the nasal, oral cavity, and larynx

• inferiorly, pharynx is continuous with the espopagus

• provides a common channel through which air passes into respiratory system and food passes into digestive

which walls of the pharynx are continuous?

• posterior and lateral walls

Pharynx is divided into which 3 regions?

• nasopharynx: opens anteriorly into nasal cavity

• oropharynx: extends from soft palate to upper border of epiglottis

• laryngopharynx: extends from the epiglottis to the lower border of the cricoid cartilage

What are the walls of the pharynx covered by

• covered by mucous membrane that’s continuous with that of the nasal and oral cavities, larynx, auditory tubes, middle ear, and esophagus

3 pharyngeal constrictors form outer circular layer of muscle

• superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle: originaties from fibrous pterygomandibular raphe, runs between mandible and lateral pterygoid plate and demarcates the superior pharyngeal constrictor and buccinator

• middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle which originates from hyoid bone

• inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle which originates from the thyroid and cricoid cartilages

median pharyngeal raphe

• the structure that’s made when right and left pharyngeal constrictors merge posteriorly

• as fan-shaped pharyngeal constrictors expand posteriorly, they overlap; the inferior overlaps the middle, the middle overlaps the superior

• on lateral aspect, the constrictors don’t meet and gaps are present through which important structures pass