page_title: Pharyngeal muscles
hierarchical_section_title: Pharyngeal muscles
caption_attribution_description: Muscles of the pharynx, viewed from behind, together with the associated vessels and nerves. (Modified after Testut.)
context_page_description: The pharyngeal muscles are a group of muscles that form the pharynx, which is posterior to the oral cavity, determining the shape of its lumen, and affecting its sound properties as the primary resonating cavity.
  The pharyngeal muscles pushing the food into the esophagus. There are two muscular layers of the pharynx: the outer circular layer and the inner longitudinal layer.
  The outer circular layer includes:
  Inferior constrictor muscle
  Middle constrictor muscle
  Superior constrictor muscle
  During swallowing, these muscles constrict to propel bolus downwards.
  The inner longitudinal layer includes:
  Stylopharyngeus muscle
  Salpingopharyngeus muscle
  Palatopharyngeus muscle
  During swallowing, these muscles act to shorten and widen the pharynx.
  They are innervated by the pharyngeal branch of the Vagus nerve with the exception of the stylopharyngeus muscle which is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve.
context_section_description: The pharyngeal muscles are a group of muscles that form the pharynx, which is posterior to the oral cavity, determining the shape of its lumen, and affecting its sound properties as the primary resonating cavity.
  The pharyngeal muscles(involuntary skeletal) pushing the food into the esophagus. There are two muscular layers of the pharynx: the outer circular layer and the inner longitudinal layer.
  The outer circular layer includes:
  Inferior constrictor muscle
  Middle constrictor muscle
  Superior constrictor muscle
  During swallowing, these muscles constrict to propel bolus downwards (an involuntary process).
  The inner longitudinal layer includes:
  Stylopharyngeus muscle
  Salpingopharyngeus muscle
  Palatopharyngeus muscle
  During swallowing, these muscles act to shorten and widen the pharynx.
  They are innervated by the pharyngeal branch of the Vagus nerve (CN X) with the exception of the stylopharyngeus muscle which is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).
caption: Muscles of the pharynx, viewed from behind, together with the associated vessels and nerves
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