Anatomy and Physiology of the Throat

Question 1

Dysphonia?

Answer 1

Hoarseness

Question 2

Odynophagia?

Answer 2

Painful swallowing

Question 3

Dysphagia?

Answer 3

Difficulty swallowing

Question 4

Referred otalgia?

Answer 4

Pain going from throat to ear

Question 5

Name the three divisions of the pharynx.

Answer 5

Nasopharynx
Oropharynx
Hypopharynx

Question 6

Name the three components of the larynx.

Answer 6

Supraglottis
Glottis
Subglottis

Question 7

What is the posterior boundary of the mouth?

Answer 7

Tonsils
Soft palate

Question 8

What is the function of the mouth?

Answer 8

Chewing (mastication)
Oral phase of swallowing
Taste
Transforms sound generated from the larynx into discernable words.

Question 9

What do the muscles of mastication do?

Answer 9

Move the jaw- all attached to the mandible

Question 10

Name the four primary muscles of mastication.

Answer 10

Temporalis
Masseter
Medial pterygoid
Lateral pterygoid

Question 11

What innervates the four primary muscles of mastication?

Answer 11

Mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve (CN V3)

Question 12

What type of innervation is given to the tongue?

Answer 12

Motor
Sensory
Special sensory- taste

Question 13

What provides sensory innervation to the anterior 2/3 of the tongue?

Answer 13

Lingual nerve (branch of trigeminal nerve)

Question 14

Which nerve supplies the special sense of taste?

Answer 14

Caroticotympanic, branch of the facial nerve

Question 15

Which nerve provides general and special sensory innervation to the posterior 1/3 of the tongue?

Answer 15

Glossopharyngeal nerve

Question 16

Which nerve supplies the majority of the motor innervation to the tongue?

Answer 16

Hypoglossal nerve

Question 17

Which nerve supplies the platoglottus of the tongue with motor innervation?

Answer 17

Vagus nerve

Question 18

Describe the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the tongue.

Answer 18

Intrinsic- Inside the tongue, no bone attachment
Extrinsic- muscles which go from bone to the tongue

Question 19

List the four intrinsic muscles of the tongue.

Answer 19

Superior longitudal
Inferior longitudal
Transverse
Vertical

Question 20

List the four extrinsic muscles of the tongue.

Answer 20

Genioglossus
Hyoglossus
Styloglossus
Palatoglossus

Question 21

What is the posterior border of the mouth?

Answer 21

Anterior tonsillar pillars

Question 22

What is the superior border of the mouth?

Answer 22

oral mucosal space…the mouth

Question 23

What is the anterior border of the mouth?

Answer 23

Mandibular gingiva

Question 24

What is the inferior border of the mouth?

Answer 24

Mylohyoid muscle

Question 25

What is the function of the nasopharynx?

Answer 25

Allows air into the larynx.

Question 26

What does the hypopharynx and oropharynx contribute towards?

Answer 26

Normal swallowing process

Question 27

What does the hypopharynx lead to?

Answer 27

Oesophagus

Question 28

Which nerves provide sensation to the oropharynx and hypopharynx?

Answer 28

Glossopharyngeal nerve Vagus nerve

Question 29

Which nerves provide motor fibres to the pharyngeal constrictor muscles?

Answer 29

Vagus nerve

Question 30

Which vertebral level does the larynx run to and from?

Answer 30

C3-6

Question 31

What does the larynx do?

Answer 31

Allows flow of air from mouth to trachea Prevents aspiration of food Produces voice and alters pitch and volume

Question 32

How does the larynx prevent aspiration of food into the airway?

Answer 32

Closes epiglottis Cough relfex

Question 33

Which nerve supplies all motor innervation to the laryngeal muscle?

Answer 33

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (note...all muscle except cricothyroid muscle which is supplied by the superior laryngeal nerve).

Question 34

Which nerve supplies sensory innervation to the laryngeal muscle?

Answer 34

Vagus nerve -Above vocal cords e.g. glottis and supraglottris = superior laryngeal nerve -Below vocal cords e.g. subglottic= recurrent laryngeal branch

Question 35

What do the cricothyroid muscles do to the larynx?

Answer 35

Lengthen and tense vocal cords

Question 36

What do the posterior cricoarytenoid muscles do to the larynx?

Answer 36

Abduct and externally rotate arytenoid cartilages, resulting in abducted vocal cords.

Question 37

What do the lateral cricoarytenoid muscles do to the larynx?

Answer 37

Adduct and internally rotate arytenoid cartilages, increasing medial compression

Question 38

What do the transverse arytenoid muscles do to the larynx?

Answer 38

Adduct the arytenoid cartilage, resulting in adducted vocal cords.

Question 39

What do the oblique arytenoid muscles do to the larynx?

Answer 39

Narrow laryngeal inlet by decreasing space between arytenoid cartilages

Question 40

What do the thyroarytenoid muscles do to the larynx?

Answer 40

Narrow laryngeal inlet, shorten vocal cords, lower pitch

Question 41

What are the three things that must be present to produce recognisable voice?

Answer 41

1. Airflow to larynx 2. Vibration/mucosal wave 3. Resonance in upper aerodigestive tract and use of pharynx, mouth, lips and tongue to manipulate sound produced by larynx into words and sounds

Question 42

Globus Pharyngeus?

Answer 42

Feeling of something in the throat when there is nothing there