In addition to these openings, the pharyngeal cavity is related anteriorly to the posterior one-third of the tongue and to the posterior aspect of the larynx. The pharyngotympanic tubes open into the lateral walls of the nasopharynx.
Lingual, pharyngeal, and palatine tonsils are on the deep surface of the pharyngeal walls.
The pharynx is separated from the posteriorly positioned vertebral column by a thin retropharyngeal space containing loose connective tissue.