Review: Anatomy of Head & Neck

Here is what we have learned from Anatomy of the Head & Neck:

• The anatomy of the head and neck is complex because so many different functional structures are located close to each other.
• Paired organs include the tonsils, parotid glands, other major salivary glands, maxillary and frontal sinuses, and the nasal cavities.
• The oral cavity consists of the lips, commissures, all surfaces of the tongue except the base of tongue, lingual tonsil, gums, floor of mouth, hard palate, buccal mucosa, and retromolar trigone.
• The pharynx includes:
  • oropharynx,
  • nasopharynx, and
  • hypopharynx.
• The larynx is comprised of three sub sites or regions:
  • The supraglottis,
  • The glottis and,
  • The subglottis.
• The paranasal (or accessory) sinuses include (in order of frequency) the maxillary, ethmoid, sphenoid, and frontal sinuses.
• The major salivary glands are the parotid, submandibular or submaxillary, and sublingual glands.
• The thyroid gland consists of two lateral lobes joined by an isthmus.