Pterygopharyngeus
Tongue & Throat
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This tiny upper-throat muscle slip helps keep swallowing organized. When it contracts, it narrows the upper pharynx so food and liquid are guided downward instead of sneaking upward toward the nasal cavity.
Function
Narrows the nasopharyngeal lumen during the initial stage of swallowing and contributes to constriction of the upper pharynx.
Origin
Lower third of the posterior border of the medial pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone and the pterygoid hamulus.
Insertion
Median pharyngeal raphe, blending with fibers from the opposite side; the most superior fibers may reach the pharyngeal tubercle of the occipital bone.
Innervation
Pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus; the motor fibers are classically attributed to the cranial part of the accessory nerve travelling with the vagus.