Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona;
J Appl Physiol (1985). 2014 Feb 1;116(3):291-301. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00670.2013. Epub 2013 Oct 3.
The upper airway is a complex muscular tube that is used by the respiratory and digestive systems. The upper airway is invested with several small and anatomically peculiar muscles. The muscle fiber orientations and their nervous innervation are both extremely complex, and how the activity of the muscles is initiated and adjusted during complex behaviors is poorly understood. The bulk of the evidence suggests that the entire assembly of tongue and laryngeal muscles operate together but differently during breathing and swallowing, like a ballet rather than a solo performance. Here we review the functional anatomy of the tongue and laryngeal muscles, and their neural innervation. We also consider how muscular activity is altered as respiratory drive changes, and briefly address upper airway muscle control during swallowing.
上呼吸道是呼吸系统和消化系统共用的复杂肌肉管。上呼吸道有几个小而解剖结构特殊的肌肉。肌肉纤维的方向及其神经支配都非常复杂，而且在复杂行为中肌肉活动是如何启动和调整的，人们还知之甚少。大部分证据表明，在呼吸和吞咽过程中，整个舌和喉肌的组合以类似于芭蕾舞的方式协同但不同地运作，而不是单独表演。本文综述了舌和喉肌的功能解剖及其神经支配。我们还考虑了呼吸驱动变化时肌肉活动如何改变，并简要讨论了吞咽过程中上呼吸道肌肉的控制。
