Oral Cavity, Oropharynx, & Swallowing

Question 1

What does the oral cavity consist of?

Answer 1

o Oral Vestibule: b/w lips and cheeks externally & b/w teeth and gingivae internally
o Oral Cavity Proper: internal to teeth and gingivae

Question 2

What makes up the floor of the oral cavity?

Answer 2

Tongue and sublingual sulcus with support from the mylohyoid and geniohyoid muscles

Question 3

What makes up the roof of the oral cavity?

Answer 3

The palate which separates the oral and nasal cavities.

Question 4

Where is the posterior boundary for the oral cavity?

Answer 4

The right and left palatoglossal arches and folds of mucous membrane raised over palatoglossus muscles

Question 5

What is the sulcus terminalis?

Answer 5

a V-shaped groove separating the anterior two thirds of the tongue from the posterior third and containing the circumvallate papillae

Question 6

Where does the body of the tongue meet up with the floor of the oral cavity?

Answer 6

At the lingual frenulum.

Question 7

What is the lingual papillae?

Answer 7

It is found on the dorsal surface of the tongue and is projections of mucous membranes.

Question 8

What are the fungiform papillae?

Answer 8

Scattered red dots among the filiform papillae

Question 9

What are the vallate papillae?

Answer 9

They are a row of 8-12 flat cylindrical structures anterior and parallel to the sulcus terminalis

Question 10

Where is the root of the tongue?

Answer 10

It is the posterior 1/3 off the tongue and is found in the oropharynx. There is no lingual papillae but it does have lymphoid nodules.

Question 11

What is found on the inferior surface of the tongue?

Answer 11

Deep lingual veins for rapid re-absorption of drugs, as well as sublingual papillae.

Question 12

Where does the anterior 2/3 of the tongue get its innervation from?

Answer 12

GSA from V3 and SVA from CN VII

Question 13

Where does the posterior 1/3 of the tongue get its innervation from?

Answer 13

GVA and SVA from CN IX

Question 14

Where does the root of the tongue and epiglottis get its innervation from?

Answer 14

SVA and GVA from CN X

Question 15

What innervates the muscles of the tongue?

Answer 15

GSE from CN XII

Question 16

What is the role of the intrinsic muscles of the tongue?

Answer 16

Change the shape of the tongue.

Question 17

What is the role of the extrinsic muscles of the tongue?

Answer 17

To change position and shape of the tongue.

Question 18

What are the 4 extrinsic muscles and their functions?

Answer 18

• Palatoglossus: vagus nerve- muscle of soft palate
• Hyoglossus: ascending from hyoid; depresses tongue
• Styloglossus: descends from styloid process; elevates and retracts the tongue
• Genioglossus: origin from superior mental spine; protrudes tongue

Question 19

What happens in a hypoglossal nerve lesion?

Answer 19

The protruded tongue will deviate to the side of the lesion.

Question 20

What happens when someone passes out and is laying supine?

Answer 20

relaxed genioglossus falls posteriorly and can lead to suffocation

Question 21

Where does the tongue get its blood supply from?

Answer 21

The lingual artery from the external carotid which branches into two arteries with the Deep lingual feeding the apex of the tongue and the sublingual feeding the sublingual sulcus.

Question 22

Where is the majority of the venous drainage of the tongue?

Answer 22

The deep lingual vein (found posterior on the underside of the tongue) joins with the sublingual veinand accompanies the hypoglossal nerve lateral to the hypoglossal muscle.
The dorsal lingual vein runs medial to the hypoglossal muscle

Question 23

What type of nerve fibers run through the submandibular ganglion?

Answer 23

Preganglionic Parasympathetic fibers from chorda tympani (VII)

Question 24

Where do the fibers go when they leave the submandibular ganglion?

Answer 24

Postganglionic Parasympathetic fibers go to submandibular and sublingual salivary glands.

Question 25

What makes up the anterior 2/3 of the palate?

Answer 25

Incisive fossa (in anterior midline), greater palatine foramen (medial to each maxillary 3rd molar), lesser palatine foramen (pierces pyramidal process of the palatine bone)

Question 26

What makes up the posterior 1/3 of the palate?

Answer 26

Fibrous palatine aponeurosis, Uvula, and muscles of the soft palate.

Question 27

What are the muscles of the soft palate?

Answer 27

• Levator veli paltini: elevates soft palate into contact with posterior pharyngeal wall
• Tensor veli palatini- tenses soft palate and opens auditory tube
• Palatoglossus- passes from soft palate into tongue; helps depress soft palate
• Palatopharyngeus- elevates pharynx and pulls posterior wall anteriorly; can also help depress soft palate
• Musculus uvulae- associated with uvula (imagine that)

Question 28

Where do the soft palate muscles get their innervation from?

Answer 28

All but the Tensor veli palatini get their innervation from the vagus nerve via the pharyngeal plexus. The Tensor Veli Palatini gets its innervation from the mandibular nerve

Question 29

Where does the palate get its sensory innervation from?

Answer 29

The maxillary nerve V2

Question 30

Where does the palate gets its blood supply from?

Answer 30

Mainly from the greater and lesser palatine arteries that branch from the maxillary artery.
superior side is from the facial and pharyngial

Question 31

Where is the musculofibrous tube in the pharynx?

Answer 31

Runs from the base of the skull to the inferior border of the cricoid cartilage

Question 32

What are the three parts of the pharynx?

Answer 32

Nasopharynx, Oropharynx, Laryngopharynx

Question 33

Where do you find the oropharynx

Answer 33

From the soft palate to the upper border of the epiglottis

Question 34

What is the lateral boarder of the oropharynx?

Answer 34

palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal arches in lateral walls. Between the folds is the palatine tonsils. The posterior 1/3 of tongue is the lingual tonsil

Question 35

What complications can occur during a tonsillectomy?

Answer 35

bleeding from tonsillar artery or paratonsillar vein OR injury to glossopharyngeal nerve

Question 36

What is a valleculae?

Answer 36

Depressions b/w tongue and epiglottis on either side of the median glossoepiglottic fold

Question 37

What makes up the wall of the pharynx from lateral to external?

Answer 37

o Mucous membrane- continuous w/ oral and nasal cavities, auditory tubes, and larynx
o Submucosa
o Muscular Layer
o Buccopharyngeal fascia

Question 38

What is often found in the retropharyngeal space?

Answer 38

This is a common site for infections to spread into the thorax and is often where you will find abscesses.

Question 39

What are the three external circular pharynx muscles?

Answer 39

Superficial pharyngeal constrictor, Middle pharyngeal constrictor, and Inferior pharyngeal constrictor (acts as upper esophageal sphincter).

Question 40

What are the three internal longitudinal pharynx muscles?

Answer 40

Stylopharyngeus, Salpingopharyngeus, and  Palatopharyngeus

Question 41

Where does the pharynx receive its innervation from?

Answer 41

Glossopharyngeal nerves do motor innervation.

and the Pharyngeal plexus.

Question 42

What makes up the pharyngeal plexus?

Answer 42

Glossopharyngeal – sensory
Vagus – motor
Superior cervical sympathetic ganglion – vasomotor

Question 43

What is the role of the epiglottic cartilage?

Answer 43

prevent entrance into larynx and trachea during swallowing

Question 44

What are the 3 stages of swallowing?

Answer 44

• Stage 1: voluntary- bolus pressed against palate, pushed from mouth to oropharynx- muscles of tongue and soft palate- oral phase
• Stage 2: involuntary and rapid- soft palate elevated, seals off nasopharynx, pharynx widens and shortens as suprahyoid and longitudinal pharyngeal muscles contract- elevate larynx- pharyngeal phase]
• Stage 3: involuntary- sequential contraction of all 3 pharyngeal constrictor muscles- forces food bolus into esophagus- propelled by peristalsis in stomach- esophageal phase

Question 45

What is dysphagia?

Answer 45

Difficulty swallowing, Usually a nerve or muscle problem. Generally occurs after a stroke, throat or mouth cancer, GERD, or neurological disorder.