The bolus is a mass substance of chewed and ground food that is positioned to be swallowed.
The epiglottis is responsible for covering the larynx when swallowing.
The glottis is the opening of the vocal cords that allow sound to travel through the oral cavity, which produces speech.
The trachea, also known as the windpipe, allows the air we breath to travel to the lungs.

The Pharynx

The Pharynx is a region within the digestive system that spans from the mouth and nostrils to the top of the esophagus, where the trachea is located. It allows us to swallow and pass our ground up food through on to the esophagus. The pharynx includes the hard and soft palates, tonsils, nasopharynx, uvula, bolus, epiglottis, and the glottis, and the trachea.

The hard and soft palates are responsible for separating the nasal and oral cavities, passing along food, and closing off airways during the process of swallowing.
The uvula closes off the nasopharynx, also called the nasal cavity.
The tonsils catch germs and bacteria that try to enter the respiratory tract.

Go to THE MOUTH