In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, located in front of the vertebrae, and contains the pharynx and larynx. An important part of the throat is the epiglottis, a flap of skin that separates the esophagus from the trachea and prevents food and drink from being inhaled into the lungs. The throat contains various blood vessels, pharyngeal muscles, nasopharyngeal tonsils, tonsils, palatine uvula, trachea, esophagus, and vocal cords. The mammalian throat consists of two bones, the hyoid bone and the clavicle. The pharynx serves the mouth, ears, nose, and many other parts of the body. The organism’s pharynx is connected to the nose through the nasopharynx at the top of the throat and to the ear through its eustachian tube. The pharynx of the pharynx connects to the oral cavity, allowing speech, food and fluids to pass down the throat. The trachea of the pharynx carries inhaled air to the bronchi of the lungs; food can be transported to the stomach through the esophagus via the pharynx; the adenoids and tonsils in the pharynx help prevent infection; and the larynx in the pharynx contains the vocal cords, the epiglottis, and an area called the subglottis, which is the narrowest part of the upper part of the throat. In the larynx, the vocal cords consist of two membranes that act according to air pressure.