Throat layers
The entire throat is lined with mucous membrane. Depending on the section of the throat, this mucosa has a different structure and different functions. In the region of the nasopharynx, the mucosa consists of ciliated epithelial cells and goblet cells.
These are used to remove smaller dust particles from the air we breathe and to produce mucus. This keeps the mucosa moist. There is also lymphatic tissue in the part of the oral pharynx.
This is colloquially called “tonsils”. It consists of various tonsils and is used primarily for immune defense. In its entirety, this lymphatic tissue is called the Waldeyer pharyngeal ring.
A muscle layer (tunica muscularis) lies on the outside of the entire mucosa. This consists of skeletal muscles and contains various throat laces with a ring-shaped muscle course, as well as three throat lifts (Musculus stylopharyngeus, Musculus salpingopharyngeus and Musculus palatopharyngeus) with longitudinally running muscle fibers. These muscles serve for coordination during the swallowing process. In addition, the pharyngeal lifts radiate into the lateral pharyngeal wall and lift the entire visceral strand.
Blood supply
The pharynx is supplied by various branches of the external carotid artery. The arteria pharyngea ascendens and the arteria thyroidea superior originate directly from the arteria carotis externa. The arteria thyroidea inferior originates from the arteria subclavia.
In addition, two pharyngeal arteries, the arteria palatina descendens and ascendens, supply the throat with blood. These originate from the arteria maxillaris and the arteria facialis, respectively. The venous blood flows via the posterior (dorsal) pharyngeal plexus directly or indirectly into the internal jugular vein.The lymphatic drainage of the pharynx takes place via small lymph nodes in the area of the laryngeal venous plexus into the larger cervical and deep lateral lymph nodes.
The motor, sensitive and vegetative innervation of the nasopharyngeal and oral pharyngeal nerves is performed by branches of the nervus glossopharyngeus (IX. cranial nerve). Innervation of the pharynx is performed by branches of the vagus nerve (X. cranial nerve).
At the level of the pharynx, the branches of these two nerves form a plexus of nerves (Plexus pharyngeus). This plexus contains motor, sensitive, secretory and sympathetic fibers. In addition, fibers of this plexus innervate a part of the back wall of the pharynx, thereby triggering the swallowing or gagging reflex.
