{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.pharynx","code":"thing-q174778","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q174778/","name":"pharynx","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.OBJ"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"The pharynx is the mucosa-lined fibromuscular tube of the upper aerodigestive tract that extends from the cranial base and choanae to the oesophageal inlet at the inferior border of the cricoid cartilage, forming a shared conduit for respiration and swallowing and, by convention, divided into nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx.","purpose":"Enable an AI agent to recognise a pharynx, record its anatomical and functional state, and determine which observations or interventions require further evidence or qualified assessment.","scope":{"in":["Identity, extent and regional organisation of the pharynx","Pharyngeal lumen, wall and mucosal condition","Connections with nasal and oral cavities, larynx and oesophagus","Pharyngeal contributions to airway patency, swallowing and resonance","Local abnormalities, examination evidence and intervention constraints"],"out":["Nasal cavity and paranasal sinus anatomy beyond their pharyngeal interfaces","Oral preparation of food and dental or tongue conditions outside pharyngeal effects","Internal laryngeal anatomy, vocal-fold function and tracheal conditions","Oesophageal transport beyond the pharyngeal transition","Whole-person disease diagnosis, treatment planning and nutritional management"],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Establish whether the structure is the passage behind the nasal and oral cavities rather than either cavity itself.","Distinguish the pharyngeal passage from the larynx by locating the laryngeal inlet and determining which side of that boundary the observed structure occupies.","Locate the transition into the oesophagus rather than treating every segment of the food passage as pharynx.","Distinguish the whole pharynx from its regional subdivisions and from adjacent tonsillar or lymphoid tissue.","Require anatomical localisation before interpreting the everyday label 'throat' as a reference to the pharynx."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"pharyngeal-identity-and-boundaries","name":"Pharyngeal identity and boundaries","description":"Establish which anatomical passage and regions the record represents.","layers":[{"id":"organism-and-regions","name":"Organism and regions","description":"Anchor regional terminology to the organism being described.","findings":[{"id":"regional-anatomical-identity","name":"Regional anatomical identity","description":"Record the organism context and evidence supporting identification of the pharynx and its subdivisions.","questions":[{"text":"Which species and life stage does this pharynx belong to, and which regional terminology applies?","id":"regional-anatomical-identity-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which observed landmarks support identification of each recorded pharyngeal region?","id":"regional-anatomical-identity-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"passage-interfaces","name":"Passage interfaces","description":"Locate boundaries with adjoining respiratory and digestive structures.","findings":[{"id":"interface-localisation","name":"Interface localisation","description":"Record how observations are assigned across the nasal, oral, laryngeal and oesophageal interfaces.","questions":[{"text":"Where are the boundaries with the nasal cavity, oral cavity, larynx and oesophagus under the chosen anatomical convention?","id":"interface-localisation-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"Does the finding lie within a pharyngeal region, cross an interface or belong primarily to a neighbouring structure?","id":"interface-localisation-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"pharyngeal-lumen-and-tissues","name":"Pharyngeal lumen and tissues","description":"Represent the passage's geometry and the condition of its walls and lining.","layers":[{"id":"lumen-geometry","name":"Lumen geometry","description":"Describe regional calibre and material occupying the passage.","findings":[{"id":"regional-calibre-and-contents","name":"Regional calibre and contents","description":"Record lumen measurements, asymmetry and observed contents at named locations.","questions":[{"text":"At which landmark and under which posture and functional phase was pharyngeal calibre assessed?","id":"regional-calibre-and-contents-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Is reduced space associated with wall configuration, adjacent compression, secretions, a bolus or another observed occupant?","id":"regional-calibre-and-contents-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"wall-and-mucosal-condition","name":"Wall and mucosal condition","description":"Describe visible or imaged tissue findings and their extent.","findings":[{"id":"local-tissue-findings","name":"Local tissue findings","description":"Localise tissue changes without assigning an unsupported cause.","questions":[{"text":"Which pharyngeal surfaces show swelling, altered appearance, disrupted integrity or focal lesions, and how extensive are the findings?","id":"local-tissue-findings-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which areas were adequately examined, and which remain outside the examination's coverage?","id":"local-tissue-findings-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"coordinated-pharyngeal-functions","name":"Coordinated pharyngeal functions","description":"Capture task-dependent behaviour during breathing, swallowing and speech.","layers":[{"id":"breathing-and-resonance","name":"Breathing and resonance","description":"Record airway behaviour and pharyngeal contributions to resonance under specified conditions.","findings":[{"id":"task-dependent-airway-behaviour","name":"Task-dependent airway behaviour","description":"Describe observed patency or narrowing with the state in which it occurs.","questions":[{"text":"Under which breathing phase, posture and wakefulness or sleep state was pharyngeal patency observed?","id":"task-dependent-airway-behaviour-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What evidence localises any observed obstruction to the pharynx and identifies the involved region?","id":"task-dependent-airway-behaviour-q02","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"resonance-interface-behaviour","name":"Resonance interface behaviour","description":"Record task-specific observations of the pharyngeal contribution to resonance and velopharyngeal behaviour.","questions":[{"text":"During which speech or vocalisation task was resonance or velopharyngeal behaviour assessed?","id":"resonance-interface-behaviour-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which observations support a pharyngeal contribution, and which require assessment of the palate, nasal cavity or larynx?","id":"resonance-interface-behaviour-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"swallowing-transit-and-coordination","name":"Swallowing transit and coordination","description":"Represent bolus passage and coordination at pharyngeal interfaces.","findings":[{"id":"bolus-clearance-and-interface-events","name":"Bolus clearance and interface events","description":"Record observed transit, residue and interface events for a specified swallowing assessment.","questions":[{"text":"For the assessed bolus consistency and volume, what transit and residue were observed in each pharyngeal region?","id":"bolus-clearance-and-interface-events-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"What evidence documents coordination with velopharyngeal closure, laryngeal protection and opening toward the oesophagus?","id":"bolus-clearance-and-interface-events-q02","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which swallowing events were directly observed, and which fall outside the method's coverage?","id":"bolus-clearance-and-interface-events-q03","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"pharyngeal-assessment-and-action","name":"Pharyngeal assessment and action","description":"Connect local evidence, unresolved concerns and the conditions for further action.","layers":[{"id":"symptoms-and-examination-evidence","name":"Symptoms and examination evidence","description":"Relate reported experiences to the anatomical coverage and limits of examinations.","findings":[{"id":"symptom-localisation-confidence","name":"Symptom localisation confidence","description":"Separate reported throat symptoms from findings demonstrably located in the pharynx.","questions":[{"text":"What evidence links reported swallowing difficulty, discomfort or obstruction sensation to a specific pharyngeal region?","id":"symptom-localisation-confidence-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which relevant regions or functions remain unassessed despite the reported symptom?","id":"symptom-localisation-confidence-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"intervention-constraints-and-follow-up","name":"Intervention constraints and follow-up","description":"Record prerequisites and observed consequences of actions involving the pharynx.","findings":[{"id":"local-action-readiness","name":"Local action readiness","description":"Record whether evidence, expertise and applicable protocols support a proposed pharyngeal examination or intervention.","questions":[{"text":"What localisation, airway and swallowing evidence must a qualified professional review before the proposed action?","id":"local-action-readiness-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which findings trigger escalation or restrict the action under the applicable clinical protocol?","id":"local-action-readiness-q02","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which regional tissue and functional observations will establish the local outcome after the action?","id":"local-action-readiness-q03","kind":"measurement"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of pharynx this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of pharynx this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation","name":"Standards and regulation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of pharynx this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-standards-and-regulation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of pharynx this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-measurements","name":"Typical measurements","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of pharynx this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-measurements-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of pharynx this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-regional-variation","name":"Regional variation","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of pharynx this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-regional-variation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of pharynx this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe the pharynx, its parts and functions for education.","Present throat examination findings or images to clinicians who requested them."],"mustNot":["Diagnose throat cancer, infection or swallowing disorders in a person without a clinician.","Tell a person with a blocked airway or severe throat swelling to wait instead of seeking emergency help.","Insert anything into a person's throat; that is a clinical act.","Share a person's throat images or test results without consent."],"requiresHuman":["Any decision about airway management or feeding methods for a person with swallowing difficulty."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Choking and airway blockage kill quickly; delay is dangerous.","Swallowing problems affect dignity and nutrition, especially in older and disabled people."],"affectedParties":["Patients","Older people with swallowing difficulty","Carers"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns it in a living person; it is part of that person's body.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q112826975","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"Q66561296","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.pharynx","Wikidata: Q174778 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q174778)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Organism and anatomical context: Organism identity, species, life stage and relevant anatomical variation","Regional localisation: Nasopharynx, oropharynx, laryngopharynx, multiple regions, unresolved; applicability recorded","Observed lumen dimensions: Millimetres or square millimetres, with landmark, method, posture and functional phase","Airway patency: Patent, narrowed, intermittently obstructed, obstructed, indeterminate; observation conditions required","Mucosal and wall condition: Described appearance, integrity, swelling, secretion burden and focal abnormalities; unexamined permitted","Swallowing performance: Observed bolus transit, clearance, residue and coordination, or not assessed","Interface behaviour: Observed opening, closure or coordination at named interfaces during a specified task","Evidence context: Direct examination, endoscopy, imaging, functional study, reported symptom or inference; date and coverage recorded"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Seen through the open mouth as the back wall of the throat behind the tongue and soft palate."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Localise an observation to a pharyngeal region and its anatomical interfaces.","Compare lumen and tissue observations across examinations with compatible conditions.","Record task-specific breathing, swallowing and resonance observations without inferring untested functions.","Flag findings that require qualified assessment using an applicable clinical protocol.","Determine whether a proposed examination or intervention has adequate localisation, evidence and professional authorisation.","Track local effects of an intervention while linking broader diagnoses and care decisions to neighbouring models."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Swelling or a foreign body can block the airway.","Infections and cancers here can spread to nearby structures."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Terminologia Anatomica, Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["The pharynx is encountered in anatomy, swallowing assessment, airway assessment and examinations of the throat.","It conducts air toward the larynx and food or liquid toward the oesophagus while coordinating their passage during swallowing."]}},"sources":[{"title":"Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice","url":"","note":"Adult morphology, three topographic divisions, approximate length, inferior extent at the cricoid/C5-C6, and relations to skull base, larynx, and oesophagus."},{"title":"Terminologia Anatomica","url":"","note":"Preferred anatomical names (pharynx, pars nasalis/oralis/laryngea) issued by FIPAT/IFAA, as opposed to the clinical synonym hypopharynx."},{"title":"WHO Classification of Head and Neck Tumours","url":"","note":"Nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx as distinct tumour sites, including HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma."},{"title":"AJCC Cancer Staging Manual / UICC TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours","url":"","note":"Clinical boundaries used to separate oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx for staging, and the piriform-sinus versus supraglottic distinction."},{"title":"Wikidata item Q174778 (pharynx)","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q174778","note":"Crosswalk among FMA, UBERON, MeSH, TA, and SNOMED identifiers for the organ."},{"title":"Pharynx","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharynx","note":"Accessible overview of divisions, relations, and comparative notes; used only as a secondary check, not as a primary anatomical authority."}],"openQuestions":["Should the registry model cover pharynges across species, or should its initial anatomical conventions be restricted to humans?","Which reference conventions should define regional boundaries and the pharynx-oesophagus transition?","How should ownership of tonsillar tissue, velopharyngeal mechanisms and the upper oesophageal sphincter be divided among neighbouring models?","Which validated methods and reference ranges support comparisons of pharyngeal calibre and function across age, posture and assessment conditions?","Which clinical protocols should govern escalation and action constraints, and how should their jurisdiction and version be recorded?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q174778/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q174778/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex","Grok"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-07T13:47:29Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T10:10:26+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}