Article
Article
Throat
Article By:
Parsons, Thomas S. Ramsay Wright Zoological Laboratories, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Last reviewed:January 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.694500
The region that includes the pharynx, the larynx, and related structures. Both the nasal passages and the oral cavity open into the pharynx, which also contains the openings of the Eustachian tubes from the ears (see illustration). The lower (inferior) portion of the pharynx leads into the esophagus and the trachea or windpipe. The rather funnel-shaped pharynx is suspended from the base of the skull and the jaws; it is surrounded by three constrictor muscles that function primarily in swallowing. See also: Ear (vertebrate); Pharynx
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