Muscles Of Nasopharynx

First step of swallowing is when the muscles of the tongue and the soft palate contract. When the muscles contract during this time it is voluntary. It is when the food is chewed and compressed. It compresses against the palate. The food then is pushed through the mouth and enters the oropharynx. Once it enters the oropharynx, the muscles contractions are involuntary and also become rapid. When swallowing the nasopharynx needs to be sealed off, so when you swallow your soft palate raises and compresses against the wall of the pharynx, which then seals off the nasopharynx. The pharynx’s longitudinal muscles, and the suprahyoid muscles, make it possible to get the food. Those muscles contract to widen, and shorten the pharynx, which makes the food pass through. The last part of swallowing also is involuntary movement of the muscles.