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The Pharynx, Soft Palate and Larynx
The Pharynx, Soft Palate and Larynx
Description of pharynx
The pharynx is situated
behind the nasal cavities, the
mouth, and the larynx
It may be divided into nasal,
oral, and laryngeal parts
Its upper, wider end lying
under the skull
Its lower, narrow end
becoming continuous with the
esophagus opposite the sixth
cervical vertebra
By means of the
auditory tube, the
mucous membrane is
also continuous with
that of the tympanic
cavity
Nasal Pharynx
The pharyngeal recess is a depression in the
pharyngeal wall behind the tubal elevation
The salpingopharyngeal fold is a vertical fold of
mucous membrane covering the salpingopharyngeus
muscle
Oral Pharynx
On the lateral wall on each side are the palatoglossal and the
palatopharyngeal arches or folds and the palatine tonsils between
them
The palatoglossal arch is a fold of mucous membrane covering the
palatoglossus muscle
The interval between the two palatoglossal arches is called the
oropharyngeal isthmus
It marks the boundary between the mouth and pharynx
Oral Pharynx
The palatopharyngeal arch is a fold of mucous membrane
covering the palatopharyngeus muscle
The
recess
between
the
palatoglossal
and
palatopharyngeal arches is occupied by the palatine tonsil
Quinsy
A peritonsillar abscess (quinsy) is caused by spread of
infection from the palatine tonsil to the loose connective
tissue outside the capsule
The nasopharyngeal tonsil or pharyngeal tonsil consists of a
collection of lymphoid tissue beneath the epithelium of the
roof of the nasal part of the pharynx
Like the palatine tonsil, it is largest in early childhood and
starts to atrophy after puberty
Adenoids
Excessive hypertrophy of the lymphoid tissue, usually
associated with infection, causes the pharyngeal tonsils to
become enlarged
They are then commonly referred to as adenoids
Marked hypertrophy blocks the posterior nasal openings
and causes the patient to snore loudly at night and to
breathe through the open mouth
Adenoids
The close relationship of the infected lymphoid tissue to the
auditory tube may be the cause of deafness and recurrent
otitis media
Adenoidectomy is the treatment of choice for hypertrophied
adenoids with infection
The nasal part of the pharynx may be viewed clinically by a
mirror passed through the mouth
Laryngeal Pharynx
This lies behind the opening into the larynx
The lateral wall is formed by the thyroid
cartilage and the thyrohyoid membrane
The piriform fossa is a depression in the
mucous membrane on each side of the
laryngeal inlet
Blood Supply
Ascending pharyngeal, tonsillar
branches of facial arteries, and
branches of maxillary and lingual
arteries
Lymph Drainage
Directly into the deep
cervical lymph nodes or
indirectly
via
the
retropharyngeal
or
paratracheal nodes into
the deep cervical nodes
Swallowing or Deglutition
Masticated food is formed into a ball or bolus on the dorsum of the
tongue and voluntarily pushed upward and backward against the
undersurface of the hard palate
This is brought about by the contraction of the styloglossus muscles
on both sides, which pull the root of the tongue upward and backward
The palatoglossus muscles then squeeze the bolus backward into the
pharynx
From this point onward the process of swallowing becomes an
involuntary act
Swallowing or Deglutition
The nasal part of the pharynx is now shut off from the oral
part of the pharynx by the elevation of the soft palate
By the pulling forward of the posterior wall of the pharynx
by the upper fibers of the superior constrictor muscle
And by the contraction of the palatopharyngeus muscles
This prevents the passage of food and drink into the nasal
cavities
Swallowing or Deglutition
The larynx and the laryngeal part of the pharynx are pulled upward
by the contraction of the stylopharyngeus, salpingopharyngeus,
thyrohyoid, and palatopharyngeus muscles
The main part of the larynx is thus elevated to the posterior surface
of the epiglottis, and the entrance into the larynx is closed
The laryngeal entrance is made smaller by the approximation of the
aryepiglottic folds, and the arytenoid cartilages are pulled forward
by the contraction of the aryepiglottic, oblique arytenoid, and
thyroarytenoid muscles
Swallowing or Deglutition
The bolus moves downward over the epiglottis, the closed entrance
into the larynx, and reaches the lower part of the pharynx as the
result of the successive contraction of the superior, middle, and
inferior constrictor muscles
Some of the food slides down the groove on either side of the
entrance into the larynx, that is, down through the piriform fossae
Finally, the lower part of the pharyngeal wall (the cricopharyngeus
muscle) relaxes and the bolus enters the esophagus
Palatine Tonsils
The palatine tonsils are two masses of lymphoid tissue, each located in the
depression on the lateral wall of the oral part of the pharynx between the
palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal arches
Each tonsil is covered by mucous membrane, and its free medial surface
projects into the pharynx
The surface is pitted by numerous small openings that lead into the tonsillar
crypts
Palatine Tonsils
The tonsil is covered on its lateral surface by a fibrous
capsule
The capsule is separated from the superior constrictor
muscle by loose areolar tissue
The external palatine vein descends from the soft
palate in this tissue to join the pharyngeal venous
plexus
Lateral to the superior constrictor muscle lie the
styloglossus muscle, the loop of the facial artery, and
the internal carotid artery
Blood Supply
The tonsillar branch of the facial artery
The veins pierce the superior constrictor muscle and join
the external palatine, the pharyngeal, or the facial veins
Lymph drains into the upper deep cervical lymph nodes, just
below and behind the angle of the mandible
LARYNX
The original use of the larynx was to keep us alive
through breakfast. Its main function is stop solids and
liquids from entering the trachea and choking us to death.
Its secondary functions are to bear down, phonation and
speech. The larynx of humans and great apes in infancy
is higher in the neck so that they can breathe and suckle
at the same time. In humans it descends before the age
of two.
HYOID BONE :
U-shaped bone.
Provides the upper attachment for many of the extrinsic muscles of the larynx.
Suspends the larynx in the neck .
It consists of:
Body anteriorly
Greater cornua project backwards on each side.
Lesser cornua _two small conical eminences _attached to the upper part of
the body of the hyoid by a fibrous band and sometimes to the greater cornua
by way of a synovial joint .
THYROID CARTILAGE:
Thyroid cartilage:
Shield like.
Largest of the laryngeal cartilages.
Has two laminae meet in the midline inferiorly.
The angle of fusion between the laminae is about 90 degree in
men and 120 degrees in women.
The fused anterior borders in men form a projection, which can
be easily palpated known as Adams apple.
CRICOID CARTILAGE
The only complete cartilage ring in the whole of the respiratory pathway.
Shaped like a signet ring.
Composed of of a deep broad quadrilateral lamina posteriorly and a narrow arch anteriorly.
The lamina of the cricoid cartilage has articular facets for arytenoid
cartilage . These joints are synovial in nature. The cricoid cartilage
also articulates with the thyroid cartilage .
EPIGLOTTIS
The anterior surface of the epiglottis is free and is covered with the same mucous
membrane which is of the of pharynx.
Forms a single median glossoepiglottic fold and two lateral glossoepiglottic folds.
Between these folds lie a depression known as the vallecula.
In neonates and infants the epiglottis is omega shaped.
This long, deeply grooved, floppy epiglottis protects the nasotracheal air passage during
sucking.
Laryngeal joints
Crico-thyroid joint : between thyroid and cricoid cartilages. Its a synovial
joint.
Two movements occur :
Rotation through a transverse axis .
Gliding , slightly .
Crico-tracheal ligament: Unites the lower border of the cricoid cartilage with the first
tracheal ring .
Hyo-epiglottic ligament: connects the epiglottis to the back of the body of the hyoid
bone.
Intrinsic ligaments:
Action
Insertion
origin
muscle
Sterno hyoid
Thyrohyoid
Sternothyroid
intermediate tendon
superior border of
scapula
omohyoid
(inferior belly )
Lateral surface of
hyoid bone
intermediate tendon
omohyoid
(superior belly )
Suprahyoid group
inervation
Action
Insertion
origin
muscle
Nerve to mylohyoid
inferior alveolar(
)branch of v3
Mylohyoid line on
the inner aspect of
.Mndible
Mylohyoid
Hypoglossal (C1
root)
Genial tubercle on
.Mndible
Geniohyoid
.Facial nerve
Retractor and
elevator of hyoid for
.swallowing
Base of greater
.cornu of thyroid
Stylohyoid
Digastric notch on
the medial surface
.Mastoid process
Digastric
Glossopharyngeal
nerve
Medial aspect of
the styloid
.process
Stylopharyng
eous
Accessory nerve
))pharyngeal plexus
Palatine aponeurosis
And post. Margin of
.palat
Palatopharyn
geus
Pharyngeal plexus
Eustachian tube
Salpingophar
yngeus
Divided into :
Open and close the glottis:(lateral and posterior cricoarytenoid
muscles, transverse and oblique arytenoids).
Control the tension of vocal ligaments :(thyroarytenoids, vocalis and
cricothyroids).
Alter the shape of the inlet of the larynx :(aryepiglotticus and the
thyroepiglotticus).
Except transverse arytenoid, all these muscles are paired.
A single muscle.
The only intrinsic muscle that lie outside the cartilaginuos framewo
the larynx .
It is known as the External tensor .
Interior of larynx :
The laryngeal cavity extends from the level of 3rd cervical vertebra to the
lower border of the cricoid cartilage (c6) level. At the level of cricoid
cartilage it becomes continuous with that of the trachea.
True vocal cords : Project further into than the false cords,
and
lie at a lower level. The covering epithelium is closely bound
down to the underlying vocal ligament. The blood supply is poor,
hence the pearly white appearance of the vocal cords.
Laryngeal inlet:
is bounded
Ventricle of larynx:
between the vestibular and vocal folds, overlie the ligaments of the same name.
On each side the laryngeal ventricle opens into an elongated recess known as the
laryngeal sinus.
From the anterior part of the ventricle, a pouch called the saccule of the larynx
ascends between the vestibular folds and the inner surface of the thyroid
cartilage.
The mucous membrane of saccule contains numerous mucous secreting glands.
These secretions lubricates the vocal cord.
Rima glottis: is an elongated fissure present between the two vocal folds.
Pyriform recesses :
The pyriform recesses (pyriform sinuses) are present on either
side of the anterolateral wall of the laryngopharynx. They are
bounded medially by the aryepiglottic folds and laterally by the
thyroid cartilage and thyrohyoid membrane. They are a common
place for food to become trapped.
Lymphatic drainage:
joint .
Devided In to :
An antero lateral ( motor branch ) : which supply
all the intrinsic ms. Of the larynx except the
cricothyroid m.
Posteromedial ( sensory branch) : which supplies
the cavity of the larynx below the level of vocal cords
.
Functions of larynx:
1. Airway protection
2. Respiration
3. Swallowing
4. Coghing
5. phonation
Airway protection:
The most important function of human larynx.
A sphincter protecting the lower airway from secretions of
oropharynx.
Protects the airway from spillage of food during deglutition.
Larynx
has
downwards):
Aryepiglottic fold, ventricular band and vocal cords.
Respiration:
Larynx is part of the upper airway passages .
keeps the airway open during respiration.
Contributes to the regulation of the acid-base balance in the
blood by influencing CO 2 tension .
Swallowing:
During swallowing the sphincters of larynx stay contracted preventing aspiration of
food into the air passage.
Coughing :
Phonation:
Palate
Palate, roof of the mouth, consisting of two portions. The hard palate in front and
the soft palate behind.
The uvula, hangs from the lower border of the soft palate.
The first well-developed palates are found in the reptiles.
Similar to humans palates occurs only in birds and some mammals.
In few whales the mucous membrane forms toughened plates known as
whalebone.
The roof of the oral cavity is formed of :
Hard palate.
Soft palate.
Hard palate :
The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of thel, located in the roof of
the mouth.
It composes two-third of the total palate area.
The hard palate is covered by a moist , durable layer of mucousmembrane tissue , which secrete small amounts of mucous. This layer
forms several ridges that help grip food while the tongue agitates it during
chewing.
The hard palate provides space for the tongue to move freely and supplies a
rigid floor to the nasal cavity .
In many lower vertebrates , the hard palate bears teeth. It is formed by the
palatine process of the maxilla and horizontal plate of the palatine bone. It forms
a partition between the nasal passages and the mouth.
Soft palate :
The soft palate ( velum, or muscular palate) is the soft tissue
constituting the back of the roof of mouth.
The soft palate is distinguished from the hard palate in that it
does not contain bone.
The soft palate is composed of muscle and connective tissue ,
which give it both mobility and support.
This palate is very flexible. When elevated for swallowing and
sucking , it completely blocks and separates the nasal cavity and
nasal portion of the pharynx from the mouth and the oral part of
the pharynx.
Functions :
It is movable and responsible for closing off the nasal passages during the
act of swallowing.
The soft palate's motion during breathing is responsible for the sound of
snoring.
Separate the oral cavity (mouth) from the nose, in order to produce the oral
speech sounds.
Palatine Aponeurosis
Fibrous sheath
Attached to posterior border of
Is expanded tendon of
tensor velli palatini
Splits to enclose musculus uvulae
Gives origin & insertion to palatine
muscles
Muscles
Tensor veli palatini
Origin: spine of sphenoid; auditory
tube
Insertion: forms palatine
aponeurosis
Action: Tenses soft palate
Musculus uvulae
Origin: posterior border of hard
palate
Insertion: mucosa of uvula
Action: Elevates uvula
Palatoglossus
Origin: palatine aponeurosis
Insertion: side of tongue
Action: pulls root of tongue
upward,
narrowing
oropharyngeal isthmus
Palatopharyngeus
Origin: palatine aponeurosis
Insertion: posterior border of
thyroid cartilage
Action: Elevates wall of the
pharynx
Mostly by the
maxillary nerve
through its branches:
->Greater palatine
nerve
-> Lesser palatine nerve
-> Nasopalatine nerve
Glossopharyngeal
nerve supplies the
region of the soft
palate
mandibular
Blood supply
Branches of the maxillary artery
- Greater palatine
- Lesser palatine
- Spheno palatine
Ascending palatine branch of the facial artery
Ascending pharyngeal branch of the external carotid
artery
Clinical note
Cleft palate:
Unilateral
Bilateral
Median
Thank You . . .