What is the pharynx?
The the throat is called the pharynx. Gray's Anatomy (1918) describes it as a muscular tube shared by the digestive and respiratory tracts.
What it is
- A muscular tube shared by the digestive and respiratory tracts.
- Divided into three parts: nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx.
- Conducts food to the esophagus and air to the larynx.
Where it is
- Behind the nose, mouth, and larynx.
- About 12 cm long.
- Extends from the base of the skull to the level of the sixth cervical vertebra.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
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