constrictor muscle

It is located on the surface of the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle.

This is the point of attachment for the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle.

Its posterior border gives attachment to the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle.

Due to the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle, the entry to the esophagus opens only when swallowing or vomiting.

Short ciliary nerves leave the ciliary ganglion to innervate the constrictor muscle of the iris.

The palatopharyngeal folds on each side of the pharynx are brought close together through the superior constrictor muscles, so that only a small bolus can pass.

It then curves forward, forming an arch on the side of the neck and lying upon the stylopharyngeus and middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle.

The parotid gland comes into contact with the superior pharyngyeal constrictor muscle at the medial border where the anteromedial and posteromedial surfaces meet.

The middle pharyngeal constrictor is a fanshaped muscle, smaller than the Inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle.

The ascending palatine artery is an artery in the head that branches off the facial artery and runs up the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle.

Some of its fibers are lost in the constrictor muscles while others, joining the palatopharyngeus muscle, are inserted into the posterior border of the thyroid cartilage.

In the pharynx, the sinus of Morgagni is the enclosed space between the upper border of the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle, the base of the skull and the pharyngeal aponeurosis.

The bolus moves down towards the esophagus by pharyngeal peristalsis which takes place by sequential contraction of the superior, middle and inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscles (pharyngeal plexus-IX, X).

Similarly to the superior and middle pharyngeal constrictor muscles, it is innervated by the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X), specifically, by branches from the pharyngeal plexus and by neuronal branches from the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

The recurrent laryngeal nerve enters the pharynx, along with the inferior laryngeal artery and inferior laryngeal vein, below the inferior constrictor muscle to innervate the Intrinsic Muscles of the larynx responsible for controlling the movements of the vocal folds.

Parallel to the carotid sheath and along its medial aspect the prevertebral fascia gives off a thin lamina, the buccopharyngeal fascia, which closely invests the constrictor muscles of the pharynx and is continued forward from the constrictor pharyngis superior onto the buccinator.

The upper esophageal sphincter relaxes to let food pass, after which various striated constrictor muscles of the pharynx as well as peristalsis and relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter sequentially push the bolus of food through the esophagus into the stomach.

The Pharyngeal raphe is a raphe that serves as the origin and insertion for several of the pharyngeal constrictors (thyropharyngeal part of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle, Middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle, Superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle).