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The Oropharynx (oral part of the pharynx
Pharynx

FunctionsThe pharynx is part of the digestive system and respiratory system of many organisms.Because both food and Earth's atmosphere pass through the pharynx, a flap of connective tissue called the epiglottis closes over the trachea when food is swallowed to prevent choking or Pulmonary aspiration....
) reaches from the Uvula
Uvula

The uvula is the conic projection from the posterior edge of the middle of the soft palate, composed of connective tissue containing a number of alveolar gland, and some muscular fibers ....
 to the level of the hyoid bone
Hyoid bone

The hyoid bone is a horseshoe shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. At rest, it lies at the level of the base of the mandible in the front and the third cervical vertebra behind....
.

It opens anteriorly, through the isthmus faucium, into the mouth
Mouth

The mouth, buccal cavity, or oral cavity is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and begins digestion by mechanically breaking up the solid food particles into smaller pieces and mixing them with saliva....
, while in its lateral wall, between the two palatine arches
Palatine arches

Palatine arches can refer to:* Palatoglossal arch* Palatopharyngeal arch...
, is the palatine tonsil.

=Normal oropharyngeal flora=

Fusobacterium
Fusobacterium

Fusobacterium is a genus of filamentous, Anaerobic organism, Gram-negative bacteria, similar to Bacteroides.Fusobacterium contribute to several human diseases, including periodontal diseases, Lemierre's syndrome, and topical skin ulcers....

Although older resources have stated that Fusobacterium is a common occurrence in the human oropharynx
Oropharynx

The Oropharynx reaches from the Uvula to the level of the hyoid bone.It opens anteriorly, through the isthmus faucium, into the mouth, while in its lateral wall, between the two palatine arches, is the palatine tonsil....
, the current consensus is that Fusobacterium should always be treated as a pathogen.






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Encyclopedia


The Oropharynx (oral part of the pharynx
Pharynx

FunctionsThe pharynx is part of the digestive system and respiratory system of many organisms.Because both food and Earth's atmosphere pass through the pharynx, a flap of connective tissue called the epiglottis closes over the trachea when food is swallowed to prevent choking or Pulmonary aspiration....
) reaches from the Uvula
Uvula

The uvula is the conic projection from the posterior edge of the middle of the soft palate, composed of connective tissue containing a number of alveolar gland, and some muscular fibers ....
 to the level of the hyoid bone
Hyoid bone

The hyoid bone is a horseshoe shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. At rest, it lies at the level of the base of the mandible in the front and the third cervical vertebra behind....
.

It opens anteriorly, through the isthmus faucium, into the mouth
Mouth

The mouth, buccal cavity, or oral cavity is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and begins digestion by mechanically breaking up the solid food particles into smaller pieces and mixing them with saliva....
, while in its lateral wall, between the two palatine arches
Palatine arches

Palatine arches can refer to:* Palatoglossal arch* Palatopharyngeal arch...
, is the palatine tonsil.

=Normal oropharyngeal flora=

Fusobacterium
Fusobacterium

Fusobacterium is a genus of filamentous, Anaerobic organism, Gram-negative bacteria, similar to Bacteroides.Fusobacterium contribute to several human diseases, including periodontal diseases, Lemierre's syndrome, and topical skin ulcers....


Although older resources have stated that Fusobacterium is a common occurrence in the human oropharynx
Oropharynx

The Oropharynx reaches from the Uvula to the level of the hyoid bone.It opens anteriorly, through the isthmus faucium, into the mouth, while in its lateral wall, between the two palatine arches, is the palatine tonsil....
, the current consensus is that Fusobacterium should always be treated as a pathogen.

HACEK organisms


The name is formed from their initials:

  • Haemophilus
    Haemophilus

    Haemophilus is a genus of Gram-negative, pleomorphic, coccobacillus bacteria belonging to the Pasteurellaceae family. While Haemophilus bacteria are typically small coccobacilli, they are categorized as pleomorphic bacteria because of the wide range of shapes they occasionally assume....
  • Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans
    Actinobacillus

    Actinobacillus is a genus of gram-negative, immotile and nonspore-forming, oval to rod-shaped bacteria occurring as parasites or pathogens in mammals, birds, and reptiles....
  • Cardiobacterium hominis
    Cardiobacterium hominis

    Cardiobacterium hominis is a bacteria that normally resides resides in the respiratory tract but is said to play a role in causing endocarditis, although in an extremely low percentage of cases....
  • Eikenella corrodens
    Eikenella

    Eikenella corrodens is a Growth medium Gram-negative facultative anaerobic bacillus. It was first identified by M. Eiken in 1958, who called it Bacteroides corrodens....
  • Kingella


All of these organisms are part of the normal oropharyngeal flora which grow slowly, prefer a carbon dioxide–enriched atmosphere and share an enhanced capacity to produce endocardial infections, especially in young children.