Oral and Nasal Cavities Flashcards
What does the term ‘fauces’ refer to?
the narrow passage from the mouth to the pharynx between the soft palate and the base of the tongue
What forms the lateral-superior boundary of the orbit?
Zygomatic process of frontal bone
What structure passes through the lesser palatine foramen?
lesser palatine nerves and vessels
Where is the sphenopalatine foramen? What structures pass through it?
It is on the posterior-lateral wall of the nasal cavity, just superior to the posterior end of the middle nasal concha. It is a major route of communication between the nasal cavity and the pterygopalatine fosa.
Contents: (3 things)
Sphenopalatine branch of maxillary artery, nasopalatine branch of maxillary nerve (CN V2), and superior nasal branches of maxilary nerve (CN V2)
Where is the scaphoid fossa? Why is it important?
At the root of the medial plate of the pterygoid process on the base of the skull. It is a small canoe-shaped fossa, just medial to the foramen ovale. It is the site of attachment of the tensor veli palatini muscle.
What forms the roof of the nasal cavity?
parts of the frontal, sphenoid and ethmoid bones
What forms the floor of the nasal cavity?
Hard palate - consists of horizontal plate of palatine bone and palatine process of the maxilla
What forms the medial wall of the nasal cavity?
The Nasal Septum - consists of Septal Nasal Cartilage, the Vomer, and perpendicular (vertical) plate of ethmoid bone
What forms the lateral wall of the nasal cavity?
Ethmoidal labyrinth, uncinate process, perpendicular plate of palatine bone, medial plate of pterygoid process of sphenoid bone, medial surface of the lacrimal bones, maxilla, and inferior concha.
What is the anterior (boney) border of the nasal cavity called?
Piriform recess
What is the medical term for nostrils?
Nares
What are the choanae?
posterior openings of the nasal cavities which communicate between the nasal cavity, anteriorly, and the nasopharynx posteriorly.
What structures pass through and around the cribiform plate?
Olfactory (CN I) passes through small holes in plate into superior meatus.
Anterior ethmoidal nerve (branch of opthalmic nerve CN V1) and accompanying vessels pass from the orbit into the cranial cavity then down into the nasal cavity through small holes immediately lateral to crista galli
(p1024-1025 grays)
To impress the lunch lady, a drunk Rudd tries to spit fire, using 180-proof Everclear. Immediately after spitting out the grain alcohol, it bursts into flames and he breathes in through his nose, causing minor burns in the anterior portion of his nasal cavity. What type of fibers relay the pain and what nerve do they travel in? If it were to burn all the way to the back of the nasal cavity, what nerve would transmit the pain?
GSA innervation for pain. The anterior portion of the nasal cavity is innervated by the anterior ethmoidal nerve (opthalmic division of CN V1).
In the posterior section of the nasal cavity, the nasopalatine nerve and lateral nasal branches ( both from maxillary division of CN V2) would transmit the pain via GSA.
What nerve provides GSA innervation to the anterior nasal cavity? What is it a branch of?
anterior ethmoidal nerve (Opthalmic division of CN V1)
What provides GSA innervation to the posterior nasal cavity? Name parent branch also.
nasopalatine nerve and the lateral nasal branches (both branches off the maxillary nerve, CN V2)
What nerve follows a course along the long axis of the vomer?
nasopalatine nerve (branch of CN V2)
What does the anterior ethmoidal nerve pass through to reach the nasal cavity?
cribiform plate (grays p1029)
What artery supplies the anterior nasal cavity?
anterior ethmoidal artery
What artery follows the course of the nasopalatine nerve? What area of the nasal cavity does it supply?
Nasopalatine nerve innervates posterior and lateral nasal cavity. The artery that follows it is the SPHENOPALATINE artery. It is the terminal branch of the maxillary artery.
Would a septal branch be on the medial or lateral side of the nasal cavity?
Medial - septum is the division between the two halves of the nasal cavity. Septal is medial
What is the origin of tensor veli palatini? Insertion?
Origin: scaphoid fossa, entire length of fibrous part of auditory tube, spine of sphenoid
Insertion: palatine aponeurosis
What innervates tensor veli palatini?
V3 branch to medial pterygoid
What are the actions of the tensor veli palatini?
tense the soft palate; open the auditory tube
Origin/Insertion of levator veli palatini?
Origin: petrous part of the temporal bone anterior to the carotid canal
Insert: palatine aponeurosis
What innervates levator veli palatini?
CN X via pharyngeal plexus
What are the actions of levator veli palatini?
Elevate soft palate
Origin/insertion of palatoglossus?
Origin: palatine aponeurosis
Insert: Lateral tongue
Origin/insertion of palatopharyngeus?
Origin: palatine aponeurosis
Insert: pharyngeal wall
What innervates palatopharyngeus?
CN X via Pharyngeal plexus
What innervates palatoglossus?
CN X via pharyngeal plexus
What are the actions of the palatopharyngeus?
depress soft palate or elevate pharynx; narrow fauces
What are the actions of the palatoglossus?
Depress soft palate or elevate rear of the tongue; narrow fauces
Orign/insert of musculus uvulae?
Origin: central posterior hard palate (posterior nasal spine)
Insert: Uvula
What innervates musculus uvulae?
CN X via pharyngeal plexus
What are the action sof the musculus uvulae?
Thickens central soft palate, shortens uvula
What does the levator veli palatini pass through / pierce to reach the soft palate?
It passes through the pharyngeal fascia (the stuff that forms the superior wall of the pharynx where the superior constrictor starts to dwindle down.)
What does the tensor veli palatini pierce to reach the soft palate?
The origin of the buccinator muscle.
What muscle prevents milk from going up your nose when swallowing?
constriction of the palatopharyngeal muscle closes the pharyngeal isthmus during swallowing.
What nerves provide sensory innervation to the nasopharynx?
CN V2 - Maxillary
CN IX - Glossopharyngeal
What nerves provide sensory innervation to the oropharynx?
CN IX - Glossopharyngeal
What nerves provide sensory innervation to the laryngopharynx?
CN X - Vagus
What structures are present in the Nasopharynx?
Choanoa, pharyngeal tonsils, pharyngeal recess, torus tubarius/auditory tube opening, salpingopharyngeal fold
What structures are present in the oropharynx?
Soft palate/uvula/palatopharyngeal folds, palatoglossal folds
What structures are present in the laryngopharynx?
Epiglottis, aryepiglottic folds, laryngeal inlet, mucosa over arytenoid cartilages, posterior aspect of cricoid cartilage (lamina), and piriform recess
What division of the pharynx is the salpingopharyngeal fold in? What would innervate the mucosa covering it?
nasopharynx. Innervated by CN V2 - maxillary, and CN IX - glossopharyngeal
What pharyngeal division are the palatoglossal folds in and what innervates it?
Oropharynx. CN IX-glossopharyngeal
What pharyngeal division are the pharyngeal tonsils located in and what innervates the covering mucosa?
Nasopharynx. CN V2 (maxillary, and CN IX (glossopharyngeal)
What innervates the aryepiglottic folds?
CN X - vagus
What innervates the outer aspect of the gingiva inferiorly? Superiorly?
Inferiorly: Inferior Alveolar and Mental Nerves (mandible)
Superiorly: Posterior superior alveolar n. and infra-orbital nerve (maxilla)
What innervates the inner aspect of the gingiva inferiorly? Superiorly?
Inferiorly: Lingual N. (mandible)
Superiorly: Greater palatine N. and naso-palatine n. (maxilla)
What does the nasopalatine nerve pass through to reach the nasal cavity?
sphenopalatine foramen
What is on the other side of the sphenopalatine foramen?
the pterygopalatine fossa
What the turbinate?
The inferior nasal concha
What is the round protrusion that bounds the semilunar hiatus superiorly? What protrudes inferiorly?
bulla ethmoidallis.
Inferiorly is the uncinate process of the ethmoid bone and the inferior concha
Where do the frontal and maxillary sinuses drain into?
Semilunar hiatus
Where do the anterior, middle, and posterior ethmoidal cells drain into?
anterior - semilunar hiatus, middle - dome of the bulla, posterior - superior meatus
Where does the sphenoid sinus drain?
sphenoethmoidal recess
Where does the nasolacrimal canal drain?
inferior hiatus
What connects the frontal sinus to the semilunar hiatus?
infundibulum
What does the nasolacrimal duct carry?
tears. This is why crying gives you a ‘runny nose’. It is not actually snot that makes it runny but tears draining into the inferior meatus of the nasal cavity.
What are the terminal branches of the inferior alveolar nerve?
Mental nerve and incisive nerve.
What foramen does the mental nerve pass through? What does the mental nerve primarily innervate?
mental foramen. The face
What does the incisive nerve primarily innervate?
medial mandibular teeth
What innervates the stylopharyngeus muscle? What innervates the rest of the pharyngeal muscles?
CN IX glossopharyngeal.
The rest of the pharyngeal muscles are innervated by CN X
What innervates the styloglossus muscle?
CN XII (hypoglossal)
What innervates stylohyoid?
CN VII (facial)
What provides GSA innervation to the posterior 1/3 of the tongue? What about SA?
CN IX for both. (glossopharyngeal)
What provides GSA to the base of the tongue? What about SA?
Internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve (CN X vagus) for both GSA and SA to posterior base of tongue
What palatal muscle is used to pop your ears?
tensor veli palatini
Why can infants swallow and breath at the same time?
Their epiglottis extends superiorly past the soft palate. This forces ingested milk to flow around the epiglottis laterally through the piriform recesses into the esophagus. The epiglottis remains open and the infant can breath simultaneously.
What nerve runs in the tonsilar bed deep to the palatine tonsils?
CN IX glossopharyngeal
