3.

Larynx 'voice box' - hollow tube in which lets air pass from pharynx to
trachea.It measures about 5 cm long. Make sounds with our voice

It keeps swallowed material from entering the lower respiratory tract while also
allowing air to enter.

Boundaries: – Superiorly it attaches to hyoid bone and opens into the

laryngopharynx – Inferiorly trachea. – Posteriorly esophagus

I. Cartilages - protects

[Cartilage serves many purposes, including the ability to resist compressive

forces, improve bone resilience, and provide support on bony areas that require
flexibility.

A cartilage framework of nine pieces supports the structure. Six of the nine
cartilages are paired, while the other three are unpaired. The following are the
cartilages that make up the larynx:]

Cartilages of larynx:

• Nine c-rings of cartilage form a framework of the larynx.

• 3 unpaired
• 3 paired

• 3 unpaired cartilages – Thyroid cartilage – Cricoid cartilage – Epiglottis

a. Thyroid cartilage – (Adam's apple) consists of two fused plates of hyaline

cartilage that form the anterior wall of the larynx and give it a triangular
shape. The ligament that connects the thyroid cartilage to the hyoid bone
is called the thyrohyoid membrane.
b. Cricoid cartilage – ring-shaped, hyaline cartilage that forms the inferior
wall of the larynx.
c. Epiglottis - lid which seals airway when eating ; directs food towards
esophagus down to the stomach

• 3 paired cartilages – Arytenoid – Cuneiform – Corniculate cartilages

 a. Arytenoid cartilages – are triangular pieces of mostly hyaline cartilage
located at the superior border of the cricoid.
b. Cuneiform cartilages - club-shaped elastic cartilages anterior to the
corniculate cartilages, support the vocal folds and lateral aspects of the
epiglottis
c. Corniculate cartilages - horn-shaped pieces of elastic cartilage, are located
at the top of each arytenoid cartilage

Except for the epiglottis, all laryngeal cartilages are hyaline cartilages.

Note: When we eat something and it goes down to the other passageway we
tend to have a cough reflex which redirects that substance out.

I. Hyoid Bone - directly not touching other bones, muscles, ligaments and
tendons

- protects and anchoring throat muscle and tongue for swallowing

Epithelium of Larynx

The superior lining of the larynx is non-keratinized stratified squamous

epithelium. Meanwhile, The inferior laryngeal lining is pseudostratified ciliated
columnar epithelium composed of goblet cells, columnar cells, and basal cells.
The mucus produced by these cells aids in the capture of dust that is not
removed in the upper passages.

Vocal folds

The mucous membrane of the larynx has two folds. The vestibular folds (false
vocal cords) are superior, and the vocal folds are inferior (true vocal cords). • The
rima vestibuli are the spaces between the ventricular folds.

When air is forced between these folds, causing them to vibrate from side to
side, elastic fibers in the vocal cords produce vocal sounds. This action
generates sound waves, which can then be converted into words by reshaping
the pharynx and oral cavity, as well as using the tongue and lips.

Glottis - The glottis is a triangular slit opening between the true vocal cords. Its
closure helps to keep food and liquid out of the trachea.

The larynx, with its cartilages and the vestibular and vocal folds, perform four
main functions:

1. Maintains an open passageway for air movements

2. Prevents swallowed materials from entering the larynx and lower
respiratory tract
3. Produces sound for speech 4. Protects the lower respiratory tract from
foreign materials.

Blood supply of larynx

• Blood is supplied to the larynx by the superior and inferior laryngeal arteries and
drained by the thyroid veins, which join the internal jugular vein.

Nerve supply of larynx

• The parasympathetic nerve supply is from the superior laryngeal and recurrent
laryngeal nerves, which are branches of the vagus nerves, and the sympathetic
nerves are from the superior cervical ganglia, one on each side

Parts of larynx
• Vocal cords
• Glottis
• Epiglottis
• Subglottis
• Supraglottis

Quick Summary for Larynx

1. Cartilage Three of the nine cartilages are single cartilages. The thyroid
cartilage and cricoid cartilage form most of the larynx. The epiglottis covers the
opening of the larynx during swallowing. Six of the cartilages are paired. The
vocal folds attach to the arytenoid cartilages.

2. The larynx maintains an open air passageway, regulates the passage of

swallowed materials and air, produces sounds, and removes debris from the air.

3. Sounds are produced as the vocal folds vibrate when air passes through the
larynx. Tightening the folds produces sounds of different pitches by controlling
the length of the fold, which is allowed to vibrate