Upper Respiratory Tract and Ear

Question 1

What are the five major cartilages that make up the larynx?

Answer 1

• circoid, thyroid, epiglottis, and (paired) arytenoids

Question 2

What is the wide, posterior part of the cricoid cartilage called?

Answer 2

• the lamina of the cricoid

Question 3

What is each side of the thyroid cartilage known as?

Answer 3

• the lamina of the thyroid cartilage

Question 4

What projects forward from each arytenoid cartilage? What about laterally?

Answer 4

• forward: each has a vocal process

- lateral: each has a muscular process

Question 5

the arytenoids articulate with the cricoid via _______; the thyroid cartilage articulates with the cricoid via _______; these 4 joints are ____________ and are all cartilage-to-cartilage joints.

Answer 5

• circoarytenoid pivot joints (each arytenoid has one)
• cricothyroid joints (2 of these)
• all 4 are true synovial joints

Question 6

The cricothyroid muscles do what?

Answer 6

• they tilt the thyroid cartilage forwards on the cricoid, tensing the vocal cords

Question 7

Which muscles are found on the posterior of the cricoid cartilage? What do they do?

Answer 7

• the two posterior cricoarytenoid muscles

- they pull in the arytenoids’ muscular processes, causing abduction of the vocal cords

Question 8

What are the ONLY abductors of the vocal cords?

Answer 8

• the posterior cricoarytenoid muscles

Question 9

What do the lateral cricoarytenoid muscles do?

Answer 9

• they adduct the vocal cords

Question 10

What is the band of muscle that runs between the arytenoids? What does it do?

Answer 10

• the transverse arytenoid muscle

- it pulls the two arytenoids together, adducting the vocal cords

Question 11

What encloses the epiglottis?

Answer 11

• a mucous membrane known as the aryepiglottis folds

Question 12

Which muscles run along each side of the aryepiglottis folds (superficial to the membrane)? What do they do?

Answer 12

• the aryepiglottic muscles

- they pull the epiglottis closed, closing the laryngeal inlet (the aditus)

Question 13

What is the opening/inlet of the larynx called?

Answer 13

• the (laryngeal) aditus

Question 14

All of the larynx’s muscles except for the _________ are supplied by which nerve?

Answer 14

• the recurrent laryngeal nerve is the motor supply of all the muscles except for the cricothyroid muscles

Question 15

The recurrent laryngeal nerve is a branch of which nerve?

Answer 15

• the vagus nerve

Question 16

The cricothyroid muscles get their motor supply from which nerve? What does it branch from?

Answer 16

• the external laryngeal nerve

- it is also a branch of the vagus nerve

Question 17

The recurrent laryngeal nerve provides sensation to the larynx ABOVE/BELOW the vocal folds.

Answer 17

• BELOW this level

- (don’t forget this nerve is also the motor supply for all the muscles except the cricothyroid muscles)

Question 18

Which nerve provides sensation to the larynx above the level of the vocal folds?

Answer 18

• the inernal laryngeal nerve

- (it is also a branch of the vagus nerve)

Question 19

What are the three regions of the pharynx?

Answer 19

• the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx

Question 20

The palatine tonsils are located between which two folds of mucosa?

Answer 20

• between the palatoglossal arch (anterior) and the palatopharyngeal arch (posterior) in the nasopharynx and underneath the soft palate

Question 21

What is found close to the opening of each eustachian tube in the nasopharynx of children?

Answer 21

• the nasopharyngeal tonisls (AKA the adenoids)

Question 22

Which five bones have the air-containing sinuses (the paranasal air sinuses)?

Answer 22

• the maxilla (x2), the frontal, the ethmoid, and the sphenoid bones

Question 23

How do the paranasal air sinuses communicate with the nasopharynx?

Answer 23

• via openings called ostia

Question 24

What do we mean when we call the ears “vestibulocochlear” organs?

Answer 24

• it means they are involved in both hearing and equilibrium

Question 25

What comprises the external ear?

Answer 25

• the auricle (w/ helix and tragus), the external acoustic meatus, and the tympanic membrane (which separates the external and middle ears)

Question 26

What comprises the middle ear?

Answer 26

• the three auditory ossicles in the tympanic cavity
• it is filled with air
• this is where the eustachian opens into

Question 27

What comprises the inner ear?

Answer 27

• the labyrinth (consists of the cochlea and semicircular canals)
• it is filled with fluid

Question 28

What are the three auditory ossicles?

Answer 28

• the malleus, incus, and stapes

Question 29

Tensor Tympani

Answer 29

• muscle attached to the handle of the malleus in the middle ear
• dampens loud sounds

Question 30

Which muscle attaches to the stapes and helps dampen loud sounds?

Answer 30

• the stapedius

Question 31

T or F: the trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve V) supplies both the tensor tympani and stapedius muscles in the middle ear.

Answer 31

• false!

- the trigeminal supplies the tensor tympani, but the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) supplies the stapedius

Question 32

The oval window (also known as ________ ) lies ABOVE/BELOW the round window (also known as ________ )

Answer 32

• oval window: fenestra vestibuli
• round window: fenestra cochleae
• oval window lies above the round window

Question 33

The floor of the middle ear (tympanic cavity) lies directly above the:

Answer 33

• jugular foramen

- (this is why we can hear blood flow when our ear is lying on a pillow at night)

Question 34

What part of the malleus connects to the tympanic membrane?

Answer 34

• the handle

Question 35

What part of the stapes connects to the oval window?

Answer 35

• the footplate/base