ABSTRACT
Gross anatomy of the pharynx and larynx The pharynx is a fibromuscular tube connecting the oral and nasal cavities rostrally and the oesophagus and larynx caudally. The nasopharynx comprises the respiratory portion of the pharynx and contains the pharyngeal openings of the auditory tubes (see Chapter 8 Nose Anatomy and Physiology, Section 8.2). The intrapharyngeal opening is the opening of the nasopharynx into the laryngopharynx, and is formed by the free caudal border of the soft palate and the right and left palatopharyngeal arches (Figs 13.1, 13.2)4. The isthmus of the fauces is the orifice between the oral cavity and the oropharynx. It is bounded on each side by the palatoglossal arch, ventrally by the tongue and dorsally by the soft palate4.
