Mouth
The mouth, also known as the oral cavity,
is the secondary external opening for the
respiratory tract. Most normal breathing
takes place through the nasal cavity, but
the oral cavity can be used to supplement
or replace the nasal cavitys functions when
needed. Because the pathway of air
entering the body from the mouth is
shorter than the pathway for air entering
from the nose, the mouth does not warm
and moisturize the air entering the lungs as
well as the nose performs this function. The
mouth also lacks the hairs and sticky
mucus that filter air passing through the
nasal cavity. The one advantage of
breathing through the mouth is that its
shorter distance and larger diameter allows
more air to quickly enter the body.
Pharynx
The pharynx, also known as the throat, is a
muscular funnel that extends from the
posterior end of the nasal cavity to the
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