Nasopharynx

The air inhaled from the nose and mouth passes through the pharynx, from which it is sent to the trachea. Then the air is sent to the lungs. The mucus lining in the walls of the oropharynx can adapt both food and air, thus, the pharynx is also a part of the respiratory system. Any injury or damage caused to the pharynx is seen to impede breathing. The Nasopharynx is one of the three regions of pharynx. From the nose through the nasopharynx only air passes, while both food and air pass from the mouth into the oropharynx.The Nasopharynx is the most cephalad portion of the pharynx. It extends from the base of the skull to the upper surface of the soft palate. It includes the space between the internal nares and the soft palate and lies superior to the oral cavity. The pharyngeal tonsils, more commonly referred to as the adenoids, are lymphoid tissue structures located in the posterior wall of the nasopharynx. Polyps or mucus can obstruct the nasopharynx, as can congestion due to an upper respiratory infection. The Eustachian tubes, which connect the middle ear to the pharynx, open into the nasopharynx. The opening and closing of the Eustachian tubes serves to equalize the barometric pressure in the middle ear with that of the ambient atmosphere. The anterior aspect of the nasopharynx communicates through the choanae with the nasal cavities. On its lateral walls are the pharyngeal ostia of the auditory tube, somewhat triangular in shape, and bounded behind by a firm prominence, the torus tubarius or cushion, caused by the medial end of the cartilage of the tube that elevates the mucous membrane

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