ABSTRACT
The neck joins the head to the trunk. It consists of skin, bone, cartilage, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, lymph nodes and vessels, and organs. Supported by the upper part of the spinal column (the cervical spine), it transmits the swallowing and air passages (Figure 69) which connect the nose and mouth to the gullet and lungs. Food and liquid passes from the mouth through the pharynx to the gullet (oesophagus). Air is drawn through the upper part of the pharynx (the nasopharynx, behind the nose, and the oropharynx, behind the mouth), but then passes through the larynx (colloquially termed the voice box), between the vocal cords and into the windpipe or trachea which connects with the lungs.
