The voice box, a cartilage-framed organ in the neck that produces sound and protects the lower airway.
Structure
The larynx is built around nine cartilages including the thyroid, cricoid, and paired arytenoids. The thyroid cartilage forms the laryngeal prominence visible as the Adam’s apple in adults.
Vocal folds
Two pairs of vocal folds stretch across the laryngeal cavity. The true folds vibrate as exhaled air passes between them; muscles attached to the arytenoid cartilages adjust their tension and position to vary pitch and volume.
Protection
The epiglottis, a leaf-shaped flap of cartilage at the top of the larynx, folds back over the airway during swallowing to direct food into the esophagus.
Find more body parts by letter
Larynx starts with L and ends with X. Browse other body parts along the same letter.
Body Parts that contain a letter from "Larynx":