La faringe es una estructura con forma de tubo que ayuda a respirar, está situada en el cuello y revestido de membrana mucosa; conecta la cavidad bucal y las fosas nasales con la laringe y el esófago respectivamente, y por ella pasan tanto el aire como los alimentos, por lo que forma parte del aparato digestivo así como del respiratorio. Ambas vías quedan separadas por la epiglotis, que actúa como una válvula. En el ser humano la faringe mide unos trece centímetros, extendida desde la base externa del cráneo hasta la sexta o séptima vértebra cervical, ubicada delante de la columna vertebral.

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The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat that is behind the mouth and nasal cavity and above the oesophagus and the larynx, or the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs. The pharynx is an organ found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though the structure is not universally the same across all of those species. In humans the pharynx is part of the digestive system and also of the conducting zone of the respiratory system. (The conducting zone also includes the nose, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles, and their function is to filter, warm, and moisten air and conduct it into the lungs.) The pharynx makes up the part of the throat situated immediately behind the nasal cavity, behind the mouth and above the oesophagus and larynx. The human pharynx is conventionally divided into three sections: the nasopharynx, the oropharynx and the laryngopharynx. It is also important in vocalization. In humans there are two sets of pharyngeal muscles that form the pharynx, determining the shape of its lumen. These are arranged as an inner layer of longitudinal muscles and an outer circular layer.

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