Pharyngeal Arches/Embryology

Question 1

1st pharyngeal arch (Meckel’s cartilage)

Answer 1

Bones - maxilla, mandible, zygomatic, palatine and temporal bones, incus, malleus

Muscles of mastication - temporalis, masseter, pterygoids, ant digastric, mylohoid, ears tensors

Nerves - V2 & V3

Maxillary a.

Question 2

2nd pharyngeal arch (Reichert’s cartilage)

Answer 2

Bones - stapes, styloid process, lesser hyoid bone

Muscles of facial expression, posterior digastric, stylohyoid, stapedius

Nerves - facial

Hyoid and stapedial a.

Question 3

3rd pharyngeal arch

Answer 3

Bones - greater hyoid bone

Muscles - stylopharyngeus

Nerves - glossopharyngeal

Common, internal and external carotid a.

Question 4

4th pharyngeal arch

Answer 4

Laryngeal cartilage

Muscles - cricothyroid, levator veli palati, pharyngeal constirctors, thyroid cartilage

Nerves - superior laryngeal n.

Aortic arch, r. subclavian a.

Question 5

6th pharyngeal arch

Answer 5

Laryngeal cartilage

Muscles - intrinsic m. of larynx (except cricothyroid)

Nerves - recurrent laryngeal n.

Pulmonary arteries, ductus arteriosus

Question 6

1st pharyngeal cleft

Answer 6

External auditory meatus

Question 7

2nd-4th pharyngeal clefts

Answer 7

Cervical sinus

Question 8

1st pharyngeal pouch

Answer 8

Tubotympanic recess

Question 9

2nd pharyngeal pouch

Answer 9

Palatine tonsil

Question 10

3rd pharyngeal pouch

Answer 10

Inferior parathyroid and thymus

Question 11

4th pharyngeal pouch

Answer 11

Superior parathyroid and thyroid

Question 12

Pharyngeal membrane

Answer 12

Tympanic membrane