Pharynx and Larynx Flashcards
What level of the cervical spine do the thyroid and cricoid cartilage traverse (approximately)?
C4 - C7
Describe the possible motions of the arytenoid cartilages?
Move medially and laterally
Rotate around attachments to cricoid
ABduct (farther apart) ADduct (closer together)
The […] end of the epiglottis articulates with the thyroid cartilage while the […] end closes off the trachea
Inferior
Superior
What is the action of the cricothyroid muscle?
What is its innervation?
Tighten vocal folds
External laryngeal nerve (vagus)
What is the action of the vocalis muscle?
What is its innervation?
Tighten vocal folds
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (vagus)
What is the action of the thyroarytenoid muscle?
What does it do to the arytenoid cartilage?
What is its innervation?
ADducts vocal folds
Closes arytenoids
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (vagus)
What is the action of the transverse arytenoid?
What effect does it have on the arytenoid cartilage?
How is it innervated?
ADduct the vocal folds
Closes arytenoids
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (vagus)
What is the action of the posterior cricothyroid muscle?
What is its effect on the arytenoids?
How is it innervated?
ABducts vocal folds
Opens cartilages
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (vagus)
What is the action of the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle?
What effect does it have on the arytenoids?
How is it innervated?
ADducts vocal folds
Closes them
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (vagus)
What is the significance of the valeculla?
Where endotracheal tools can be placed to hold epiglottis up for tube to enter trachea
What is the significance of the piriform recess?
Food often gets stuck here
What is the purpose of the inflatable portion of an endotracheal tube?
To ensure inflate and push against back of trachea and prevent any aspiration from the trachea
How must a person be positioned if they are going to be given an endotracheal tube?
Head tilt chin lift
The internal laryngeal nerve provides what kind of information?
Somatic sensory information FROM the larynx
What nerve supplies motor information to most of the muscles of the larynx?
Recurrent laryngeal nerve (vagus)
The superior laryngeal artery arises from where?
The superior thyroid artery, which arises from the external carotid artery
The inferior laryngeal artery arises from where?
The inferior thyroid artery which arises from the thyrocervical trunk
In addition to labeling all the structures, describe what is happening in the mouth during breathing.
- Soft palate is folded down to open nasopharynx to allow passage of air
- Floor of mouth and tongue are relaxed
- Epiglottis is raised
In addition to labeling all the structures, describe what is happening in the mouth during swallowing.
- Raised soft palate
- Contracted superior constrictor –> closes off nasopharynx
- Contracted tongue –> closes off oropharynx
- Contracted floor of mouth and thyrohyoid –> help lower epiglottis to protect trachea
Where can you access the trachea and in what settings should this be done?
