Throat Anatomy : Throat Parts, Pictures, Functions

Throat Anatomy: Throat Parts, Pictures, Functions
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We all know that the main function of the throat is to swallow and gulp anything placed inside the mouth. But in reality throat does several functions throughout the day and night in keeping you alive. Throat serves as an excellent transport system meant for moving air, fluids and any solids.

It is the trachea inside the throat that receives oxygen pushing it into the lungs. One can feel the pulse of heart by gently pressing the throat. Throat starts functioning from the minute the baby is born and continues to function until he dies.

Every organ in human body has been devised meticulously in proper shape and size suiting the way it functions. Accordingly throat is a narrow elongated part connecting your head to the shoulders. Throat begins at the back of your mouth and ends in the upper part of the stomach.

As long as a person is alive throat functions non-stop helping in breathing and swallowing. And once your throat stops functioning normally you would have pain or difficulty in breathing/swallowing and if it is strangulated you would die.
Definition
The throat can be defined as the anterior part of the neck in general terms. In the anatomical terms, it is the segment of the digestive tract that begins from the back of the mouth. A throat is very soft and delicate organ that gets easily irritated causing painful sores and ulcers.
Parts Of A Throat
Based on anatomy, throat can be divided into 3 parts namely, the upper part, the middle part and the lower part called as nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx respectively.

Pharynx – The elongated muscular tube connecting the back of the nose into the neck is known as pharynx. The function of pharynx is to transport the air from the nose into the larynx and to transport food particles placed inside the mouth to the esophagus. Pharynx is the visible part seen when you open the mouth.
Epiglottis – The first part of larynx is called as epiglottis. The main task of epiglottis is to prevent any food or water you eat/drink from going into the lungs.
Larynx – Larynx is also known as voice box without which you cannot speak or sing. Larynx is located about 5 inches below the pharynx of the throat. It is made of cartilages and muscles that transport air from the nose into the trachea. Vocal cord is present inside the larynx. Upper part of the vertical tubing of larynx can be seen in the form of Adam’s apple which goes up and down when you eat anything.
Trachea – Trachea is commonly called as windpipe and it transports air from the larynx till the bronchioles of the lungs. The throat divides into two parts below the larynx. One is the trachea that takes air into the lungs and the other is the esophagus.
Esophagus – The main function of esophagus is to empty the food particles received from the pharynx into the stomach. Esophagus includes sphincter muscles to control the backflow of substances sent to the stomach. Under normal conditions, the lower sphincter muscles close fully after eating to prevent the entry of anything from stomach. But sometimes the sphincter muscles do not function properly and it opens to push in the acid, enzymes and other digested food back into the esophagus resulting in chest burning and acidity.