Eustachian tube

The Eustachian tube, also known as the auditory tube or pharyngotympanic tube, is a tube that links the nasopharynx to the middle ear. It is named after the sixteenth-century Italian anatomist Bartolomeo Eustachi. In adult humans, it is approximately 35 mm long and 3 mm in diameter. Normally, the tube is collapsed, but it gapes open with swallowing.