Oropharinx Anatomy and Physiology of Swallowing

Abstract

Oropharynx is the middle part of the pharynx, superiorly bordered by the nasopharynx and inferiorly bordered by the hypopharynx. It includes the base of tongue, soft palate, tonsils, walls of pharynx and constrictor muscles. The oropharynx is laterally bounded by the parapharyngeal space, which is potential space in the shape of an inverted pyramid. Oropharynx is a common pathway in which air for breathing enters the lung while food and liquids enter the esophagus during swallowing. As food bolus passes from oral cavity to the oropharynx, a complex physiological phenomenon involving voluntary effort and involuntary reflexes prevent inadvertent entry of food and liquid into the airway. Both the central and autonomic nervous systems are involved in this complex neuromuscular process. The swallowing mechanism can be better understood by deviding it into oral preparatory phase, pharyngeal phase and oesophageal phase. Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc.