Courtney Takahashi

Pharynx, Larynx, Ear

17 November 2006

Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil

Nasopharynx (Base of skull to soft palate)
 Pharyngeal / Adenoid tonsils
 Torus tubarius
 Salpingopharyngeal folds
 Pharyngeal recesses

Oropharynx (Palate to hyoid bone)

 Palatine tonsils
 Palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal folds

Laryngopharynx (Inlet of the larynx to cricoid cartilage / beginning of the esophagus)

 Pifiform recess

Muscles of the Pharynx (all on Netter’s plate 63)

 Inferior constrictor (plate 64 / 71)
 Middle constricutor (plate 64 / 71)
 Superior constrictor (plate 64 / 71)
 Pharyngeal raphe (plate 71)
 Stylopharyngeus (from styloid) (plate 64/ 61)
 Palatopharyngeus (plate 61)
 Salpingopharyngeus (plate 61)
o What are the functions of stylopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus, and
salpingopharyngeus? Elevates oropharynx to receive bolus as it is driven back
 Levator palatini
 Tensor veli palitini
o What is the function of levator palatini and tensor palatini? Elevate the soft palate
back and close nasopharynx during swallowing
 Styloglossus (plate 64)
 Stylohyoid (plate 63)

Nerves and arteries (Netter’s plate 67 for nerves, 65 for arteries)

 Glossopharyngeal nerve
 CN XI, Glossopharyngeal
 CN X, Vagus
 CN XI, Spinal accessory
 Superior cervical ganglion / Sympathetic chain
 Ascending pharyngeal artery
 Ascending palatine (from facial)
 Descending palatine (from maxillary)
 Carotid artery

1
  Internal jugular vein

Lateral Wall of Pharynx

 Gap 1 – Above Superior constrictor
o Allows passage of levator palatini and auditory tube
 Gap 2 – Between superior constrictor and middle constrictor
o Stylopharyngeus, CN IX, stylohyoid ligament
 Gap 3 – Between middle constrictor and inferior constrictor
o Internal laryngeal nerve and superior laryngeal artery
 Gap 4 – Below the inferior constrictor
o Recurrent laryngeal nerve and inferior laryngeal artery

Larynx (Plate 73)

o Thyroid
o Cricoid
o Artenoid
o Corniculate cartilage
o Cuneform cartilage
o Epiglottic cartilage
o Piriform recess (plate 62)
o Glossoepiglottic folds (I don’t know what this is)
o Vestibule with vestibular folds and rima vestibuli
o Ventricle
o Infraglottic cavity with vocal folds and rimia glottidis

Ligaments and Memebranes (Plate 74 – 75)

o Thyrothroid membrane
o Cricothyroid membrane
o Hyoepiglottic ligament
o Quadrangular membrane – membrane extending inferiorly from aryepiglottic fold to
vestibular ligament (false vocal cord)… not sure where this is
o Conus elasticus – elastic membrane extending superiorly from cricoid cartilage and
terminating in the vocal ligament (true vocal cord)

Muscles of the Larynx

o Cricothyroid muscle (plate 76)
o Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle (plate 74)
o Arytenoideus muscle (plate 74)
o Lateral cricoartytenoid muscle (plate 74)
o Thyroarytenoid muscle (Plate 74)
o Vocalis muscle (plate 74)

Nerves of the larynx

o Superior laryngeal branch of vagus (Plate 76)

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 o Internal branch of the superior laryngeal
o What are its functions? General sensory to areas above vocal folds,
parasympathetic fibers to the larynx, taste to posterior aspect of the tongue
o External branch of the inferior laryngeal
o Motor to cricothyroid muscle
o Inferior laryngeal branch / recurrent laryngeal nerve

Arteries
o Superior thyroid artery
o Inferior thyroid artery

Ear, Surface anatomy (Netters, plate 88)

o Auricle
o Helix
o Anti-helix
o Crus of helix
o Tragus
o Ear lobe
o External acoustic meatus

Bones
o Malleus (plate 88)
o Incus (plate 88)
o Stapes (plate 88)

Muscles
o Tensor tympani (plate 88)

Inner Ear
o Cochlea
o Vestibule
o Semicircular canals