| Hypopharynx | |
|---|---|
| Laryngopharynx labeled at bottom right. | |
| Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx. ("Laryngeal part of pharynx" labeled at left, third from the bottom.) | |
| Latin | pars laryngea pharyngis |
| Gray's | subject #244 1142 |
| Nerve | pharyngeal plexus |
| MeSH | Hypopharynx |
This article deals with human anatomy; for the non-homologous structure in insects, see Insect mouthparts.
In human anatomy, the hypopharynx (or laryngopharynx) is the bottom part of the pharynx, and is the part of the throat that connects to the esophagus.
The superior boundary of the hypopharynx is at the level of the hyoid bone with the inferior border being the lower level of the cricoid cartilage.
It can be divided into three sub-sites:
The vascular supply to the hypopharynx includes the Superior Thyroid Artery, the Lingual Artery and the Ascending Pharyngeal Artery. The primary neural supply is from both the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves. The vagus nerve provides a branch termed "Arnolds Nerve" which also supplies the external auditory canal, thus hypophayrngeal cancer can result in referred otalgia. This nerve is also responsible for the ear-cough reflex in which stimulation of the ear canal results in a person coughing.
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