1. Supralaryngeal Anatomy

2. Vocal Tract
Articulation: a joining of structures loosely to allow movement
For speech: modification of the airstream into the various sound of speech
Airstream is either set into vibration at the larynx (voiced sound) or flows through open glottis unimpeded (voiceless)
Modification occurs in vocal tract
Throat, mouth, nose

3. Vocal Tract Sounds are formed in three ways:
Exploding the airstream with bursts of pressure
Constricting it to generate turbulence
Resonating it to shape different qualities of tone

4. Articulators Articulators or vocal tract include: Tongue Lips Jaw
Velopharynx
Pharyngeal cavities

5. Development of Vocal Tract
Right angle formed by the cranialvertebral junction (angle of upper throat where spine joins skull)
Orientation of head & neck- vertical
Base of cranium & vocal tract are bent sharply relative to axis
Bend is unique to humans

6. Development of Vocal Tract
What does the shape of vocal tract preserve?
Horizontal orientation of the special sense organs (sight, smell, hearing) & feeding apparatus
Straight continuity between the brain stem and the spinal cord
Advantages:
Completely close the nasal cavity while maintaining an open oropharyngeal tract
Human infants cannot close nasal tract

7. Development of Vocal Tract
Neonatal:
Born with nonhuman oropharyngeal anatomy
Epiglottis high in the pharynx (touches soft palate)
Larynx is positioned high
Changes that occur:
Larynx moves inferiorly, away from tongue and soft palate
Epiglottis moves inferiorly
Advantages of early oropharyngeal anatomy
Allows respiration and feeding to occur simultaneously

8. Vocal Tract Nasal Nasal Cavity Cavity Oral Cavity Soft Palate Vocal
Folds
Oropharynx
Laryngopharynx
Trachea
Oral
Cavity

9. Cavities
Nasopharynx
Oral Cavity
Oropharynx
Laryngopharynx

10. Cavities
Major subdivisions of the vocal tract that participate in articulation:
Pharyngeal Cavity (throat)
Nasal Cavity (nose)
Oral Cavity (mouth)

11. Oral Cavity
Extends from the oral opening, or mouth, in front to the faucial pillars in back
Oral opening involved in articulation
Hard palate= hard roof or your mouth
Rugae- prominent ridges running laterally (formation of bolus)
Median raphe- divided hard palate in half
Soft Palate or Velum= Soft portion running behind the hard palate
Uvulus terminates soft palate

12. Oral Cavity
Velum= movable muscle mass; separates oral & nasal cavities
Attached in front to the palatine bone
Anterior & Posterior Faucial Pillars
either side of soft palate, mark posterior margin of the oral cavity
Teeth and alveolar ridge of maxillae make up lateral margins
Palatine tonsils
Between the Ant. & Post. faucial pillars

13. Oral Cavity Rugae Hard Palate Median Raphe Uvula Velum
Anterior Faucial
Pillar
Palatine
Tonsils
Posterior Faucial
Pillar

14. Pharyngeal Cavity Pharynx (3 regions) 12 cm in length
Extends from the vocal folds blow to the region behind the nasal cavities, above
Tube is lined with muscle capable of constricting to facilitate deglutition (also closes velopharyngeal port)
Velopharyngeal port- Opening between the oropharynx and nasopharynx

15. Pharyngeal Cavity 3 regions: Oropharynx Laryngopharynx Nasopharynx
Portion of pharynx posterior to fauces, bounded above by velum
Lower boundary is the hyoid bone
Laryngopharynx
Bounded anteriorly by the epiglottis
Inferiorly by the esophagus
Nasopharynx
Space above soft palate
Bounded posteriorly by the protuberance of occipital bone
lateral wall contains the orifice of Eustachian tube

16. Pharyngeal Muscles
3 large, thin muscles wrap around the sides and back wall of the pharynx
Inferior Constrictor
Cricopharyngeus
Middle Constrictor
Stylopharyngeus
Salpingopharyngeus
Superior Constructor

17. Pharyngeal Muscles Functions: 1. Nonspeech- Swallowing- -Mash food
-Major function to
shoot food into
esophagus
2. Speech-
Narrowing pharynx,
Velopharyngeal
closure
Superior
Constrictor
Middle
Constrictor
Inferior
Constrictor

18. Constrictor Pharyngis Inferior
* Level of laryngopharynx
* Origin: Sides of cricoid cartilage
anterior & lateral arch, fibers run
in a semi-circle
* Insertion: Dorsal pharyngeal midline raphe

19. Constrictor Pharyngis Medius
* Level of oropharynx
* Origin: Portion of hyoid
bone, wraps around
* Insertion: Midline raphe

20. Constrictor Pharyngis Superior
* Level of nasopharynx
*Origin: Very complex,
lots of bones of skull,
mandible, sides of tongue
* Insertion: Midline raphe

21. Stylopharyngeus * Function: Will pull pharynx upward
& outward, expands pharynx
* Origin: Styloid process of temporal
bone, runs down
* Insertion: Fibers of the medial &
superior constrictors

22. Salpingopharyngeus
Origin: Eustachian tube (communication between pharynx
& middle ear)
Eustachian Tube
Salpingopharyngeus
Insertion: Pharyngeal walls
Function: thought to be involved in VP closure

23. Salpingopharyngeus
Salpingopharyngeus

24. Nasal Cavity Produced by paired maxillae, palatine and nasal bones
Divided by the nasal septum
Made up of vomer bone, perpendicular plate of ethmoid and cartilaginous septum
Nasal cavities & turbinates are covered by mucous membrane

25. Nasal Cavity
Air entering nasal cavity is warmed & humidified to protect lungs
Fine nasal hairs prevent particulate matter from entering the lower respiratory passageway
Epithelia propel pollutants toward nasopharynx where they are swallowed into the esophagus

26. Nasal Cavity
Nares or nostrils mark anterior boundaries of the nasal cavities
Nasal choanae are posterior portals connecting the nasopharynx & nasal cavities
Floor of nasal cavity is the hard palate

27. Nasal Cavity Frontal Bone Ethmoid Septal Perpendicular Cartilage Plate
Vomer
Anterior
Nasal Spine
Perpendicular
Plate of Palatine
Bone
Palatine Process
of Maxilla

28. Reading/Assignments Seikel: Pgs. 300-303; 326-330
Dickson: Pgs