Anatomy: Larynx and Pharynx Flashcards
What is the function of the Larynx?
Involved in:
-Breathing, sound production/phonation (houses the vocal cords) and protection of trachea against food aspiration
-Manipulated pitch and volume
Larynx is related to which cervical vertebrae?
Larynx is located at vertebral levels C3 to C6
What is the function of the glottis?
It is a valve contained in the larynx that serves dual function of controlling airway and producing sound during phonation
What is the purpose of intrinsic and extrinsic muscles?
The intrinsic muscles control the glottis
The extrinsic muscles control position of larynx in the neck.
What forms the cricothyroid joint?
The inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage articulates with the side acrh of the cricoid cartilage to form the cricothyroid joint.
What is the thyrohyoid membrane?
Membrane that connects the superior border of the thyroid cartilage to the hyoid bone
True/False
The LAMINA of the cricoid cartilage is located posteriorly and the ARCH is located anteriorly
True
Location of the arytenoid cartilage is ..?
Arytenoid cartilage located on the superior border of the lamina of the cricoid cartilage. Articulates with the cricoid cartilage through the synovial joint.
Name the two processes of the arytenoid cartilage
- Muscular process for attachment of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles.
- Vocal process for attachment of vocal ligament
Memba: Intrinsic muscle controls glottis
What is the importance of the arytenoid cartilage - muscular and vocal processes?
Important because it influences position and tension of the vocal folds.
- adduction
- abduction
- rotation
- tilting anteriorly and posteriorly
Which cartilages of the larynx paired?
- Arytenoid Cartilage
- Corniculate Cartilage
- Cuneiform Cartilage
How many carliages are there of the larynx?
9
3 paired and 3 unpaired
Which cartilages are made up of elastic cartilage?
- Epiglottis
- Corniculate
- Cuneiform
Which cartilages are made up of hyaline cartilages?
- Thyroid
- Cricoid
- Arytenoid
Where are the corniculate cartilages located?
Corniculate cartilages are located at the apex of each arytenoid cartilage
Where are the cuneiform cartilages located?
Cuneiform cartilages are located anterior to the corniculate cartilages.
What type of joint is the cricothyroid joint?
The cricothyroid joint is a synovial joint
What nerve passes behind the cricothyroid joint?
The recurrent laryngeal nerve passes behind the cricothyroid joint where it becomes the inferior laryngeal nerve
What type of joint is the cricoarytenoid joint?
The cricoarytenoid joint is a synovial joint
Where is the cricoarytenoid joint located?
The cricoarytenoid joint is located on the superior border of the LAMINA of the cricoid cartilage.
Purpose of the cricoarytenoid joint is to…?
allow rotatory and lateral gliding movements
The lateral and downward pull of arytenoid leads to opening of the vocal folds (rima glottidis) in the shape of a V
Rotation of the joint leads to a diamond-shaped opening of the glottis
What is the extent of the thyrohyoid membrane?
The membrane connects the upper border of the lamina of the thyroid and its superior horns to the body and greater horn of the hyoid bone.
It forms the lateral wall of the piriform recess.
What is the purpose of the thyrohyoid membrane?
To anchor the larynx to the hyoid bone.
NB: The thyrohyoid membrane is not apart of the larynx.
What pierces the thyrohyoid membrane?
The superior laryngeal nerve and vessels perforates the thyroihyoid membrane
What is the extent of the hyoepiglottic ligament?
It connects the epiglottis to the hyoid bone
What is the extent of the thyroepglottic ligament?
It connects the epiglottis to the thyroid cartilage
The epiglottis is posterior to the…?
Tongue and hyoid bone
What is the extent of the cricotracheal membrane?
It connects the lower border of the cricoid cartilage to the first cartilagenous ring of the trachea
What is the extent of the quadrangular membrane?
It extends between the epiglottis and the arytenoid cartilage.
The anterior border of the quadrangular membrane is attached to the lower half of the epiglottis (the stalk) at its sides
Its posterior border is attached to the anterolateral surface of the arytenoid
Its lower border (inferior border) is free!!!
The lower border constitutes the vestibular ligament (false vocal cord)
The longer superior border (upper border) with mucous membrane constitutes the aryepiglottic fold.
What type of tissue is the cricothyroid ligament?
Elastic tissue
What is the extent of the cricothyroid ligament?
The cricothyroid ligament has 2 parts ( anterior and lateral)
- The anterior median cricothyroid ligament
- Paired lateral cricothyroid ligament/ paired cricovocal membrane.
The anterior median cricothyroid ligament can be found in the midline and it connects the upper border of the cricoid cartilage to the lower border of the thyroid cartilage.
The paired lateral cricothyroid ligament/cricovocal membrances are attached to the upper border of the cricoid cartilage. The superior border is free for each ligament constituting the vocal ligament/vocal cord.
Its posterior end (vocal ligament) is attached tothe vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage
The anterior end of the vocal ligament is attached to the inner surface of the thyroid cartilage and angle formed by the laminae.
What are the intrinsic ligaments and membranes?
The quadrangular membrane and the cricothyroid ligament
What are the extrinsic ligaments and membrane
- The hyo-epiglottic ligament
- The thyro-epiglottic ligament
- The thyrohyoid membrane
- The cricotracheal membrane