The salpingopharyngeus muscle is a muscle of the

pharynx The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its st ...

. It arises from cartilage around the Eustachian tube, and inserts into the

palatopharyngeus muscle The palatopharyngeus (palatopharyngeal or pharyngopalatinus) muscle is a small muscle in the roof of the mouth. It is a long, fleshy fasciculus, narrower in the middle than at either end, forming, with the mucous membrane covering its surface, the ...

by blending with its posterior

fasciculus ''Fasciculus vesanus'' is an extinct species of stem-group ctenophores known from the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada. It is dated to and belongs to middle Cambrian strata. The species is remarkable for its two sets of long and shor ...

. It raises the

and larynx during

deglutition Swallowing, sometimes called deglutition in scientific contexts, is the process in the human or animal body that allows for a substance to pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, and into the esophagus, while shutting the epiglottis. Swallowing i ...

(swallowing) and laterally draws the pharyngeal walls up. It opens the pharyngeal orifice of the Eustachian tube during swallowing allowing for the equalization of pressure between it and the pharynx.

Structure

The salpingopharyngeus muscle arises from the superior border of the medial cartilage of the Eustachian tube, in the nasal cavity. This makes the posterior welt of the

torus tubarius The base of the cartilaginous portion of the Eustachian tube (auditory tube) lies directly under the mucous membrane of the nasal part of the pharynx, where it forms an elevation or cushion, the torus tubarius or torus of the auditory tube, behind ...

. It passes downward and blends with the posterior

of the

Nerve supply

The salpingopharyngeus is supplied by the

vagus nerve The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve, cranial nerve X, or simply CN X, is a cranial nerve that interfaces with the parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. It comprises two nerves—the left and righ ...

(CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus.

Blood supply

The salpingopharyngeus muscle is supplied by the

ascending pharyngeal artery The ascending pharyngeal artery is an artery in the neck that supplies the pharynx, developing from the proximal part of the embryonic second aortic arch. It is the smallest branch of the external carotid and is a long, slender vessel, deeply se ...

Function

The salpingopharyngeus muscle raises the

and larynx during

(swallowing) and laterally draws the pharyngeal walls up. Unusually, it is relaxed during deglutition, but contracts at all other times. It opens the pharyngeal orifice of the Eustachian tube during swallowing allowing for the equalization of pressure between the it and the pharynx.

Additional images

References

External links

Illustration at princetonchiropractic.com
{{Authority control Muscles of the head and neck Pharynx