The anatomy of the Eustachian tube.
Most important for opening/closure mechanisms of the Eustachian tube (ET) in rat is probably the mucosal part with its nasopharyngeal orifice, which consists of two lips of soft tissue. From this part of the tube the tensor veli palatini, the levator veli palatini and the salpingopharyngeus muscles originate. The macro- and microanatomy of the rat ET seems to correspond well with that described for man. Hence the rat seems to be an adequate model for continuing experimental studies on the ET.
D000818:Animals; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009132:Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051381:Rats