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Respiratory System

Structure and Function

What is the pharynx?

The pharynx, commonly called the throat, is connected to the nasal cavity and to the oral cavity. It serves as a passageway for food traveling from the oral cavity to the esophagus and for air traveling from the nasal cavity to the larynx. The pharynx has three divisions: 1) the nasopharynx, 2) the oropharynx, and 3) the laryngopharynx.