ANA 124: quiz (T2 Pharynx)

Pharynx

starts at back of nasal cavity, continues to just below larynx

Pharynx 3 parts:

nasopharynx, oropharynx, laryngopharynx

Functions of pharynx:

passageway for food and air, resonance for speech

Nasopharynx key parts:

soft palate, hard palate, opening for auditory tube, uvula, pharyngeal tonsil

Soft palate

posterior third of the palate, anterior part: palatine aponeurosis, posterior part: muscular, hangs the uvula

Hard palate

roof of your mouth, formed by maxillae & palatine bones

Auditory tube

where air pressure is equalized

Pharyngeal tonsil

swollen tonsils can cause nasal blockage and difficulty breathing through nose

Uvula

back of your throat, when you say (ah)

Nasal conchae

superior, middle, inferior (shelves)

Nasal meatuses

superior, middle, inferior (grooves between concha)

Function of nasal conchae and nasal meatuses:

to increase mucosal surface area; also to filter, heat, moisten the air during inhalation; reclaims heat and moisture during exhalation

Oropharynx

region behind tongue

Oropharynx key parts:

Palatine tonsil, lingual tonsil, epiglottis, hyoid bone

Palatine tonsil (oropharynx)

swollen tonsils can cause sore throat and trouble swallowing

Epiglottis (oropharynx)

cartilaginous, slightly flexible, will move down inferiorly to cover larynx (so no food/water will go down lungs)

Ligual tonsil

below the tongue, covers the posterior surface of the tongue

Hyoid bone

lies in the anterior neck, inferior to mandible

Laryngopharynx

where food, water, air pass before splitting into respiratory/digestive system

Laryngopharynx: key parts

false vocal chord (ventricular fold), true vocal chord (vocal fold), thyroid cartilage, larynx, trachea, esophagus

False vocal chord

ventricular fold (no direct part in sound production)

True vocal chord

vocal fold (vibrate, produce sound as air rushes up from lungs)

Thyroid cartilage

forms structural framework for anterior and lateral walls of larynx

Larynx

voice box, superiorly attaches to the hyoid bone, inferiorly continues into the trachea