Pharynx and Larynx

Question 1

What are the 3 pharyngeal regions?

Answer 1

Nasopharynx
Oropharynx
Laryngopharynx

Question 2

What begins and ends the nasopharynx? What are the landmarks of the nasopharynx?

Answer 2

Begins from nasal choana to the tip of uvula

• Opening of Eustachian tube
• Salpingopharyngeal fold
• Pharyngeal tonsils
• Tubal tonsils

Question 3

What begins and ends the oropharynx? What are the landmarks of the oropharynx?

Answer 3

From the palatoglossal arch, soft palate, and uvula to the epiglottis

• Palatopharyngeal arch
• Tonsillar fossa
• Palatine tonsils
• lingual tonsils

Question 4

What begins and ends the laryngopharynx?What are the landmarks of the laryngopharynx?

Answer 4

From the level of C4 to the C6 vertebrae (this is also the area that is posterior to the larynx)

• Epiglottis
• Aryepiglottic folds
• piriform recess

Question 5

What are the 3 external circular constrictor muscles of the pharynx and what are the 3 internal longitudinal suspensory muscles?

Answer 5

External: Superior, middle, and inferior
Internal: Stylopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus, salpingopharyngeus

Question 6

What nerve supplies the external constrictor muscles of the pharynx?

Answer 6

The pharyngeal plexus (formed by pharyngeal sensory branches of glossopharyngeal, motor branches from the vagus, and sympathetic branches from the superior cervical ganglion?

Question 7

What is the action of the external constrictor muscles?

Answer 7

Function to constrict pharynx during swallowing and propel food into the esophagus

Question 8

What nerve supplies each of the internal suspensory muscles of the pharynx?

Answer 8

The glossopharyngeal nerve supplies the stylopharyngeus muscle
Palatopharyngeus and salpinopharyngeus muscles are supplied by the pharyngeal plexus of nerves

Question 9

What is the action of the internal suspensory muscles of the pharynx?

Answer 9

Function to elevate the larynx during speaking and raise and expand the pharynx during swallowing

Question 10

What are the 3 soft palate muscles?

Answer 10

Tensor veli palatine
Levator veli palitini
Musculus uvulae muscle

Question 11

What is the nerve supply of the 3 soft palate muscles?

Answer 11

Tensor veli palatine is supplied by the mandibular division of the trigeminal
Levator veli palitini and the musculus uvulae muscles are supplied by the pharyngeal plexus

Question 12

What is the action of the soft palate muscles?

Answer 12

They tense and elevate the velum and uvula during swallowing and yawning

Question 13

What are the 3 stages of swallowing?

Answer 13

1. Volunary stage, when bolus is pushed from mouth ito oropharynx by tongue
2. Involuntary and rapid. Internal and external muscles of pharynx move bolus into esophagus. Bolus is prevented from moving into nasopharynx by the soft palate muscles. The thyroid cartilage is raised, causing epiglottis to fold over the larynx, deepening the aryepiglottic folds, providing channels to guide bolus to esophagus.
3. Squeezes bolus from laryngopharynx into the esophagus through the action of the inferior constrictor muscles

Question 14

What are the functions of the larynx?

Answer 14

Respiratory
Phonatory
Reflexsive and voluntary sphincteric function (breath holding, preventing aspiration)

Question 15

What are the 3 regions of the larynx? What are their borders?

Answer 15

Upper laryngeal cavity - from tip of epiglottis to vestibular folds
Middle laryngeal cavity - from vestibular folds to the vocal folds
Lower laryngeal cavity - from the true vocal cords to the lower border of the cricoid cartilage

Question 16

What are the landmarks of the upper laryngeal cavity?

Answer 16

Aditus
Epiglottis
Aryepiglottic folds
Arytenoid cartilages
Vestibular folds or the false vocal cords
Vestibule (area between the aditus and the vestibular folds)

Question 17

What are the landmarks of the middle laryngeal cavity?

Answer 17

Vocal folds
Ventricles
Glottis
Rima glottis

Question 18

What are the 3 unpaired cartilages of the laryngeal skeleton?

Answer 18

Thyroid cartilage
Cricoid cartilage
Epiglottic cartilage

Question 19

What are the landmarks of the thyroid cartilage? (6)

Answer 19

Laminae
External laryngeal prominence
Thyroid angle
Superior thyroid notch
Superior horns or cornua
Inferior horns or cornua

Question 20

What are the landmarks of the cricoid cartilage? (5)

Answer 20

Arch
lamina
cricothyroid articular surface
cricoarytenoid articular surface

Question 21

What are the landmarks of the epiglottic cartilage? (2)

Answer 21

Stalk

Epiglottic plate

Question 22

What are the paired cartilages of the laryngeal skeleton?

Answer 22

Arytenoid cartilage
(landmarks are the base, apex, vocal process, muscular process)
Cuneiform cartilages
Corniculate cartilages

Question 23

What are the 2 types laryngeal articulations?

Answer 23

Synovial articulations (e.g. the cricothyroid joint and the cricoarytenoid joint)
Membranous articulations (extrinsic membranes and intrinsic membranes)

Question 24

What are the 2 membranous articulation types?

Answer 24

Extrinsic membranes (thyrohyoid membrane and cricotracheal membrane)
Intrinsic membranes (quadrangular membrane, cricothyroid membrane, median cricothyroid ligament)

Question 25

What are the two types of laryngeal muscles, and what are in those groups?

Answer 25

Extrinsic (supra and infrahyoid muscles)
Intrinsic
-sphincteric group = aryepiglottic, oblique arytenoids, thyroepiglottic, thyroarytenoid

Question 26

What muscles are in the respiratory and phonatory groups?

Answer 26

Posterior cricoarytenoid
Lateral cricoarytenoid
Transverse arytenoid
Cricothyroid 
Thyroarytenoid
Vocalis

Question 27

What is the nerve supply of the larynx?

Answer 27

Superior laryngeal nerve
-external branch is motor to the cricothyroid (runs with superior thyroid)
-internal branch is sensory to upper and middle regions of the laryngeal cavity
Inferior (recurrent) laryngeal nerve
-motor to remaining intrinsic muscles. Sensory to lower laryngeal cavity