Anatomy 8

Question 1

What are the tonsils?

Answer 1

Collections of lymphoid tissue in the upper parts of the pharynx.

Question 2

Where are the pharyngeal tonsils (adenoid) located?

Answer 2

Lies in the roof of the nasopharynx

Question 3

Where are the tubal tonsils located?

Answer 3

Surrounds the opening of the auditory tube (which connects the nasopharynx to the middle ear

Question 4

Where are the palatine tonsils located?

Answer 4

Next to the pharyngeal wall in the oropharynx

Question 5

What are the lingual tonsils?

Answer 5

A collection of lymphoid tissue on the posterior aspect of the
tongue.

Question 6

What do the intrinsic muscles of the larynx do?

Answer 6

Intrinsic muscles of the larynx move the laryngeal cartilages which in turn move the vocal cords that lie inside
the larynx.

Injury to the nerves that innervate the intrinsic laryngeal muscles therefore affect speech.

Question 7

What are the vestibular folds?

Answer 7

Folds of mucous membrane that lie superior to the vocal
folds.

Question 8

What are the vocal folds?

Answer 8

Folds of mucous membrane that cover and protect the vocal
ligaments – together they form the true vocal cords.

Question 9

What are the vocal ligaments attached to?

Answer 9

Attached anteriorly to the internal aspect of the laryngeal prominence and posteriorly to the arytenoid cartilages.

Question 10

What is the space between the true vocal cords called?

Answer 10

Rima Glottidis

Question 11

How is the Rima Glottidis opened and closed?

Answer 11

● Adduction of the true vocal cords closes the rima glottidis, whilst abduction of the folds opens it.
● Phonation requires adduction of the cords and closure of the rima glottidis.
● Abduction of the cords opens the rima glottidis:
● to a small degree in whispering
● partially in normal breathing
● fully in forced breathing.

Question 12

How do the intrinsic muscles open and close the rima glottidis?

Answer 12

The intrinsic muscles of the larynx move the laryngeal skeleton which moves the vocal cords and opens and closes the rima glottidis.

Question 13

Where is the cricothyroid muscle located?

Answer 13

Anteriorly between the thyroid and cricoid cartilages

Question 14

What does the cricothyroid muscle do?

Answer 14

This muscle tips the thyroid cartilage anteriorly and inferiorly, which places tension on the vocal cords.

Question 15

Where are the posterior cricoarytenoids located?

Answer 15

On the posterior surface of the cricoid, they attach to the arytenoids

Question 16

What do the posterior cricoarytenoids do?

Answer 16

These muscles abduct the vocal cords and open the rima
glottidis.

Question 17

Where are the transverse arytenoids located?

Answer 17

On the posterior aspect of the larynx, connecting the two arytenoid cartilages

Question 18

What do the arytenoid cartilages do?

Answer 18

These muscles adduct the vocal folds and close the rima glottidis.

Question 19

What does the superior laryngeal nerve innervate?

Answer 19

Innervates the cricothyroid muscle and is sensory to the larynx above the vocal folds.

Question 20

What does the recurrent laryngeal nerve innervate?

Answer 20

Innervates all the intrinsic muscles except for the cricothyroid and is sensory to the larynx below the vocal folds.

Question 21

What pairs of salivary glands secrete saliva in the oral cavity?

Answer 21

Parotid
Submandibular
Sublingual salivary glands.

Question 22

What is glandular secretion stimulated by?

Answer 22

Parasympathetic Fibres

Question 23

Where is the parotid gland located?

Answer 23

Overlies the posterior part of the mandible

Question 24

What does the parotid gland do?

Answer 24

Saliva empties into the mouth via the parotid duct, which opens adjacent to the upper second molar tooth.

The parotid gland is closely related to the facial nerve.
After the nerve exits the skull, it enters the deep surface of the parotid gland.
Within the gland the facial nerve divides into five branches which emerge to innervate the muscles of facial
expression.

The parotid gland is also closely related to the external carotid artery.

Question 25

What is the parotid gland stimulated by?

Answer 25

By parasympathetic fibres in the glossopharyngeal nerve.

Question 26

Where is the submandibular gland located?

Answer 26

Part of the gland lies within the mouth, and part lies outside
The submandibular duct opens into the floor of the mouth, under the tongue.

Question 27

What is secretion of saliva from the submandibular glands stimulated by?

Answer 27

Parasympathetic fibres in the facial nerve.

Question 28

What are the sublingual glands?

Answer 28

These are small and lie in the floor of the mouth.
They open via several small ducts into the floor of the mouth.

Question 29

What are the sublingual glands stimulated by?

Answer 29

Parasympathetic fibres in the facial nerve.

Question 30

What is vocal cord palsy?

Answer 30

The recurrent laryngeal nerve lies close to the inferior thyroid artery, which is ligated during thyroidectomy.

The nerve innervates all but one of the intrinsic muscles of the
larynx. If it is injured, the intrinsic muscles of the ipsilateral side do not function and subsequently the vocal cords on the affected side cannot move.

When the vocal cords on one side are unable to adduct, hoarseness of the voice results.

Question 31

What is laryngeal cancer?

Answer 31

Malignancy of the larynx typically presents with a change in the quality of the voice, such as hoarseness.

Visualisation of the larynx - laryngoscopy – is used to examine
the larynx and vocal cords.

Question 32

What is endotracheal intubation?

Answer 32

Endotracheal intubation is the passage of a semi-rigid tube into the trachea for ventilation.
It is commonly performed when patients have a general anaesthetic for surgery, or when patients are sedated in intensive care.

A laryngoscope is used to lift the tongue and epiglottis so that the vocal cords can be directly seen, and the tube is passed between them into the trachea.

Correct placement into the trachea (rather than the oesophagus) is confirmed by a carbon dioxide reading on the anaesthetic machine (expired air from the patient) and auscultating both lungs to ensure the tube is in the trachea and not one of the bronchi.