Pharynx

Derived from the Greek for throat, the pharynx is the part of the neck and throat situated behind the nose and the mouth that leads down both to the passage for food and to the passage for air. Because both food and air pass through the pharynx, a flap of connective tissue called the epiglottis closes over the trachea when food is swallowed to prevent choking or aspiration. The pharynx is important in vocalization: it functions with the various parts of the mouth to articulate the initial sounds produced in the larynx.