Australian Dental Council (ADC) Practice Test

The muscle that inserts into the pterygoid raphe is indeed the superior constrictor of the pharynx. This muscle is crucial for the function of the pharynx, particularly in the process of swallowing. It forms part of the pharyngeal wall and is responsible for constricting the pharynx during swallowing, which helps propel food from the oral cavity down into the esophagus.

Understanding the anatomy of the pharynx is important because the superior constrictor connects with various other structures. Its insertion at the pterygoid raphe, which is a fibrous band that serves as a point of attachment for several muscles, illustrates the interconnected nature of the muscles involved in swallowing and respiration.

Other muscles mentioned in the choices, while also part of the pharyngeal musculature, do not insert at the pterygoid raphe. The middle and inferior constrictors of the pharynx have different points of insertion and are primarily involved in the subsequent stages of swallowing. The stylohyoid muscle, located in a different region and associated with the hyoid bone, plays a separate role in the movement of the hyoid during swallowing and does not interact with the pterygoid