Pharynx

Tutorials and quizzes on the structure and function of the pharynx using interactive animations and diagrams. Get a step-by-step anatomy crash course on this topic and hundreds of others.

Sagittal view of the head and neck showing different regions of the pharynx highlighted with different colors
Anatomical Regions of the Pharynx

The pharynx is a four to five-inch fibromuscular tube that conducts air from the nasal cavity to the larynx. It is divided into three anatomical regions.
Auditory tube being illustration in two illustrations, sagittal view of the head and neck where it opens in the pharynx (left) and anterior view of the auditory tube along with the middle ear (right)
Eustachian Tubes (Auditory Tubes) of the Pharynx

An interactive demonstration of the Eustachian Tubes featuring the iconic GBS illustrations.
Sagittal view of the head and neck showing the pharynx (left), pseudostratified columnar epithelium (right upper) and nonkeratinizing stratified squamous epithelium (right lower)
Pharynx Histology – Epithelial Lining of the Pharynx

An interactive demonstration of the Epithelial Lining of the Pharynx (nasopharynx, oropharynx & laryngopharynx) featuring the iconic GBS illustrations.
Sagittal view of the head and neck (left side) and the oral cavity (right side) showing the tonsils highlighted with green
Tonsils & Adenoids (Lymphoid Tissue) of the Pharynx

The openings to the pharynx from the nose and mouth are protected by a ring of tonsils and other types of lymphoid tissue (Waldeyer’s ring).