throat
(throte)
The hollow, muscular tube inside the neck that starts behind the nose and ends at the top of the trachea (windpipe) and esophagus (the tube that goes to the stomach). The throat acts as a passageway for air to enter the lungs and food and liquid to enter the esophagus. It contains many structures, including the tonsils, adenoids, pharynx, and larynx.
Enlarge this image in new windowAnatomy of the throat. The throat is a hollow, muscular tube inside the neck that acts as a passageway for air to enter the lungs and for food and liquid to enter the esophagus. It contains many structures, including the adenoids, tonsils, pharynx (the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx), larynx, esophagus, and trachea.