Muscles of the pharynx, vertical side section, artwork. The pharynx is the muscular tube that runs down the back of the nose and mouth to the oesophagus. At bottom is the trachea (windpipe, blue). Above this is the cricothyroid muscle, which pulls the vocal cords of the larynx (voice box, white) taut, increasing the pitch of the voice. At right and above the larynx are the inferior and middle pharyngeal constrictors, which propel swallowed food down the oesophagus. The hyoid bone (yellow, centre) is raised during swallowing by the geniohyoid muscle above it and the stylohyoid at top right. At bottom left is the genioglossus, which extends and depresses the tongue (top left).