Summary
The throat is the connection between mouth or nose and the trachea or esophagus. It is a 12-15 cm long muscle tube that serves to transport air and food. The soft palate and the epiglottis serve as important auxiliary structures to coordinate the way from the mouth to the lungs or stomach.The pharynx is divided into three sections and according to its localization it is divided into a nasopharynx, a mouth pharynx and a pharynx.
These individual sections are supplied by various nerves and vessels and are all reinforced by a layer of muscles. This serves to coordinate the act of swallowing. In addition to these functions, the throat has the task of immune defense.
For this purpose there are numerous immune defense cells in the entire mucous membrane of the throat. These are bundled in the area of the various tonsils (tonsils) and are supposed to render the pathogens harmless, especially those from the air we breathe. If the pathogens from the air we breathe are too strong or the immune system is too weak, the throat can become inflamed and then typically leads to sore throat and reddening of the throat.
In some cases, bacteria can colonize the throat and then lead to plaque and a severe feeling of illness. Cancer can also occur in the throat area, often based on long-term alcohol or nicotine abuse. In most cases, these cancers are difficult to cure.
