Human Laryngeal Anatomy Flashcards
Structure of Laryngeal System
inter-related series of muscles, ligaments, cartilages, joints, and 1 bone (hyoid bone)
Primary Biological Function
to rapidly and securely protect airflow into trachea
Secondary Biological Function
vocalization and sound source production center
Unpaired Cartilages
thyroid, epiglottis, and cricoid
Paired Cartilages
corniculate, arytenoids, cuneform
Hyoid Bone
U-shaped bone suspended in upper neck
forms upper framework of laryngeal system
How many wings does the thyroid cartilage have?
2 wings, including upper and lower horns
In which direction does the thyroid open?
posteriorly
Which other cartilage does the thyroid articulate with?
the cricoid cartilage
What’s the name of the joint that is formed by the cricoid and thyroid cartilages?
the cricothyroid joint, which is a synovial/diarthrodial joint
Interactions between the Thyroid and Cricoid..
- joint allows thyroid to “rock over” the cricoid
- can change vocal fold length by 25%
What kind of facets does the cricoid cartilage have for the arytenoids?
2 convex facets
Arytenoid Cartilage
2 small arytenoid cartilages artic with the cricoid cartilage
Arytenoid Processes
- vocal process (VFs connect here)
- muscular process
- apex/extension of arytenoid cart.
Where is the arytenoids articular facet located?
on the inferior surface of the muscular process
meets with the convex articular facet on the cricoid
Interactions between cricoid and arytenoid
- rocking motion of the arytenoid on the cricoid
- synovial saddle joints
Which 3 ligaments affect joint motion of the arytenoid?
posterior cricoarytenoid ligament, lateral cricoarytenoid ligament, and the vocal ligament
abduction
when vocal folds move apart from eachother (when they OPEN)
adduction
when vocal folds come together (when they CLOSE)
arytenoid connection is very important to..
open and close the VFs
when the arytenoid rock forward, this causes
adduction, the vocal folds come together and close
cricothroid joint allows the thyroid to..
rock up
What shape is the epiglottis cartilage?
leaf-shaped
Thryoepiglottic ligament
to deep surface of the angle of the thyroid cartilage (below the notch)
Hyoepiglottic ligament
anterior surface of epiglottis attached the the body of the hyoid bone v
Function of the Epiglottis
shuts off airway to trachea when we swallow
Corniculate cartilages location
-sit on top of the apex of the arytenoid cartilages
Cuneiform cartilage location
- embedded within the aryepiglottic folds
- these are the folds that form the entrance to the larynx
Corniculate composition
elastic cartilage
Corniculate function
no funtion for vocalization or speech production in humans
Cuneform composition
elastic cartilage
Cuneform function
possibly stiffen aryepiglottic folds to maintain the opening of the larynx
