ABSTRACT
The pharynx is a fibromuscular tube forming the upper part of the respiratory and digestive passages. It extends from the base of the skull to the level of the sixth cervical vertebra at the lower border of the cricoid cartilage, where it becomes continuous with the oesophagus. The nasopharynx lies anterior to the first cervical vertebra. The adenoids, which constitute the superior component of Waldeyer's ring, are situated at the junction of the roof and posterior wall of the nasopharynx. The superior border of the hypopharynx is at the level of the laryngeal inlet. Its inferior border is the lower border of the cricoid cartilage where it continues into the oesophagus. The hypopharynx is commonly divided into three areas: the right and left piriform fossae, the posterior pharyngeal wall and the postcricoid region. It is important to appreciate that the main function of the larynx is not the production of voice but the protection of the tracheobronchial airway and lungs.
