The
pharynx (plural:
pharynges) is an organ found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though the structure is not universally the same across the species. In
humans the pharynx is part of the
digestive system and also of the
conducting zone of the
respiratory system. (The conducting zone also includes the
nose,
larynx,
trachea,
bronchi, and
bronchioles, and their function is to filter, warm, and moisten air and conduct it into the
lungs.) The pharynx makes up the part of the
throat situated immediately posterior to the
nasal cavity, posterior to the
mouth and superior to the
esophagus and
larynx. The human pharynx is conventionally divided into three sections: the nasopharynx, the oropharynx and the laryngopharynx. It is also important in
vocalization.
