The throat
Pharynx · pharynx
The muscular tube behind your nose and mouth shared by air and food.
What it does
The pharynx runs from behind the nose down to the top of the oesophagus and the voice box. Its upper part carries air, its middle part carries both air and food, and its lower part channels food towards the oesophagus. Muscles in its walls squeeze food down when you swallow.
Surprising fact
Because air and food share this tube, swallowing requires a split-second sequence of more than 20 pairs of muscles to keep food out of the airway.
Why it matters
A "sore throat" is usually inflammation of the pharynx from a cold virus. The tonsils at its sides are often involved too.
Nearby
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Open in the 3D atlas · Suggest a correction · Not medical advice.
3D models: Z-Anatomy & BodyParts3D (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 2.1 JP). Card text CC BY 4.0.