Where is larynx and pharynx located

Skip to content. What is the throat? The throat pharynx and larynx is a ring-like muscular tube that acts as the passageway for air, food and liquid. It is located behind the nose and mouth and connects the mouth oral cavity and nose to the breathing passages trachea [windpipe] and lungs and the esophagus eating tube. The throat also helps in forming speech. These muscles are called the stylopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus, and salpingopharyngeus. In addition to muscles, the pharynx is made up of a network of nerves, including the pharyngeal plexus, glossopharyngeal nerve, and vagus nerve.

In fact, it takes approximately 25 pairs of muscles in the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus to do this. For the pharynx to work properly, its location has to be precise. By being in the middle of the neck it is able to assist the respiratory and digestive tracts equally. Any muscular changes in the pharynx may affect its location, whether it be longitudinal muscles attached incorrectly or missing muscles.

Because of its location, the pharynx helps the respiratory system by allowing air to make its way to the respiratory tract. For digestion, the use of the muscles surrounding the pharynx both circular constrictive muscles and longitudinal muscles work together to send food and drink down to the esophagus.

The circular muscles push food and drink down to the intestines while the longitudinal muscles widen and lift the pharynx, which is what makes it possible to swallow. The less-known function of the pharynx is its role in speech. Because the pharynx is an enclosed space that can change shape thanks to its musculature structure, air is able to travel through the pharynx to the larynx the voice box.

As vocal cords work to make sound the pharynx is able to amplify that sound as the larynx opens up into the pharynx. Conditions related to the pharynx range from mild to severe. Things like a sore throat from a virus or cold, allergies , strep throat , or gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD can all affect the pharynx and leave you feeling uncomfortable. Thankfully, there are both over-the-counter and prescription remedies that treat a majority of these common ailments to heal the pharynx quickly.

In many cases, these issues may go away on their own. Other conditions may require treatment, with a sore throat as one of the leading symptoms. This includes:. Antibiotics only treat bacterial infections, and depending on the cause of your sore throat these meds may do more harm such as building up antibiotic resistance than good for you.

In order for your healthcare provider to determine the cause of your pharynx pain, some additional tests may be needed. This includes a laryngoscopy, which lets your healthcare provider look at the larynx and pharynx using a small device that has a telescope on it inserted into either the nose and down into the throat or directly through the pharynx itself.

If you have a chronic cough or sore throat , voice changes , or difficulty breathing a laryngoscopy may be the next step in determining the cause behind these symptoms. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Canadian Cancer Society. These cancers are more common among men because male smokers continue to outnumber female It consists of an upper part nasopharynx , a middle part oropharynx , and a lower part hypopharynx.

The throat is a muscular passageway through which food is carried to the esophagus and air is carried to the lungs. Like the nose and mouth, the throat is lined with a mucous membrane composed of cells that produce mucus and have hairlike projections cilia. Dirt particles caught in the mucus are carried by the cilia toward the esophagus and are swallowed.

The tonsils are small lumps of tissue located on both sides of the back of the mouth, and the adenoids are located at the back of the nasal cavity. The tonsils and adenoids consist of lymphoid tissue and help fight off infections see also Lymphatic System: Helping Defend Against Infection Lymphatic System: Helping Defend Against Infection Lymphomas are cancers of lymphocytes, which reside in the lymphatic system and in blood-forming organs.

Lymphomas are cancers of a specific type of white blood cells known as lymphocytes. They are largest during childhood and gradually shrink throughout life. Even when the tonsils and adenoids are removed surgically, because of obstructive sleep apnea Sleep Apnea Sleep apnea is a serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops long enough to disrupt sleep and often temporarily decrease the amount of oxygen and increase the amount of carbon dioxide Kate M.

Apr 19, That is the laryngeal pharynx or laryngopharynx, the space above the larynx and the esophagus. Explanation: Larynx: posterior to the thyroid gland, anterior to the C4 and oesophagus, medial to the hyoid bone. Pharynx: divides into three parts: naso, oro, and laryngopharynx. See the picture below.

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