The pharynx is a 15cm long fibromuscular tube located in the midline of the neck behind the nose, mouth, and larynx. It is divided into 3 compartments - the nasopharynx behind the nasal cavity, the oropharynx behind the oral cavity, and the laryngopharynx (hypopharynx) behind the larynx. The wall has 4 layers - mucosa, pharyngeal aponeurosis containing lymphoid tissue that aggregates to form tonsils, a muscle layer, and outer connective tissue. Blood supply comes from branches of the external carotid artery and nerves are supplied by cranial nerves V, IX, X.