26.4 : 喉

The larynx or voice box connects the laryngopharynx with the trachea.

It includes unpaired thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, and the epiglottis, as well as paired arytenoid, cuneiform, and corniculate cartilages.

The thyroid cartilage forms the anterior and lateral walls of the larynx. It is more prominent in males and visible from the outside, commonly known as the Adam's apple.

A ligament called the thyrohyoid  membrane connects the hyoid bone to the thyroid cartilage.

Posteriorly, the epiglottis appears as a large leaf-shaped structure.

The cricoid cartilage forms the inferior wall of the larynx and is connected to the trachea.

In the sagittal view, the pairs of arytenoid, corniculate, and cuneiform cartilages form the lateral and posterior walls of the larynx. They support the vocal folds and lateral aspects of the epiglottis.

The glottis consists of paired mucous membrane folds — vestibular folds, vocal folds, and space between them known as the rima glottidis.

With the help of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles in the larynx, cartilages and membrane folds of the glottis move systemically, producing voice.