Upper Respiratory System

Description

Profiled over the face and anterior neck of an adult Asian woman, the nasal cavity extends posteriorly from the nares to the choanae, with the frontal and maxillary paranasal sinuses positioned superior and lateral to the nasal passages within the midface and frontal bone. Airflow then courses inferiorly and posteriorly through the nasopharynx into the oropharynx and hypopharynx, continuing to the larynx, which sits anterior to the pharyngeal lumen. The trachea descends inferiorly from the subglottic region as a midline, ringed airway in the cervical neck. Surface-to-deep relationships are explicit. This lateral perspective matters when teaching airway patency and sites of obstruction because it clarifies how the tongue base and soft palate relate to the pharyngeal airway, a common focus in obstructive sleep apnea discussions. The overlay also supports procedural planning: endotracheal intubation tracks from the oral cavity toward the laryngeal inlet, while incorrect placement into the esophagus is best understood by appreciating the trachea’s anterior position relative to the pharynx and cervical esophagus. Sinus outflow pathways are not fully mapped here, but the frontal and maxillary sinus locations help orient sinusitis symptoms and surgical corridors in functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Use this artwork in head and neck anatomy teaching (gross anatomy, ENT modules, speech and voice science) to anchor Terminologia Anatomica terms to recognizable surface landmarks. It also fits patient-facing education for nasal obstruction, laryngitis, and airway management handouts where a clean lateral airway diagram outperforms axial imaging for first-pass understanding. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.