Larynx

Question 1

What does the larynx connect?

Answer 1

lower part of pharynx to trachea

Question 2

What are the functions of the larynx?

Answer 2

prevents passage of food into the airway during swallowing, regulates the flow of air into lungs, and functions in vocalization

Question 3

Between what vertebral levels does the larynx lie?

Answer 3

C3 and C6

Question 4

What are the parts of the thyroid cartilage?

Answer 4

superior thyroid notch, inferior thyroid notch, Laryngeal prominence, superior horn, inferior horn, laminae, and oblique line

Question 5

What is the most inferior cartilage of the larynx?

Answer 5

cricoid cartilage

Question 6

What is the lower end of the epiglottic cartilage attached to?

Answer 6

laryngeal prominence by the thyroepiglottic ligament

Question 7

What are the paired cartilages that articulate with the cricoid cartilage?

Answer 7

arytenoid cartilages

Question 8

What are the parts of the arytenoid cartilages?

Answer 8

vocal process: attaches the vocal ligament

muscular process: attaches the intrinsic muscles of larynx

Question 9

What are the paired cartilages that lie on the apices of the arytenoid cartilage and are closed within the aryepiglottic folds?

Answer 9

corniculate cartilages

Question 10

What are the paired cartilages that lie in the aryepiglottic folds anterior to the corniculate cartilages?

Answer 10

cuneiform cartilages

Question 11

What two cartilages can ossify and be mistaken for fractures?

Answer 11

corniculate and cuneiform cartilages

Question 12

What synovial joint of the larynx is between the side of the cricoid cartilage and the inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage?

Answer 12

cricothyroid joint

Question 13

What does the cricothyroid cartilage permit?

Answer 13

rotation of the thyroid cartilage around a horizontal axis

Question 14

What synovial joint of the larynx is between the upper border of the cricoid cartilage and the base of the arytenoid cartilage?

Answer 14

Cricoarytenoid joint

Question 15

What does the cricoarytenoid joint permit?

Answer 15

gliding and rotation of the arytenoid cartilage on the cricoid cartilage

Question 16

What ligament of the larynx extends from the thyroid cartilage to the hyoid bone?

Answer 16

thyrohyoid membrane

Question 17

What pierces the thyrohyoid membrane?

Answer 17

internal laryngeal nerve and superior laryngeal vessels

Question 18

What ligament of the larynx extends from the arch of the cricoid cartilage to the thryoid cartilage?

Answer 18

median cricothyroid ligament

Question 19

What ligament of the larynx extends from the thyroid cartilage in front to the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage behind?

Answer 19

vocal ligament

Question 20

What fibroelastic membrane extends upward from the cricoid cartilage to the vocal ligament?

Answer 20

Conus Elasticus (circovocal membrane, lateral cricothyroid ligament)

Question 21

What connects the epiglottic cartilage to the arytenoid cartilage on each side?

Answer 21

Quadrangular Membrane

Question 22

What are the two parts to the Quadrangular Membrane?

Answer 22

Superior Margin: forms the aryepiglottic ligament within the aryepiglottic fold
Inferior margin: forms the vestubular ligament within the vestibular fold

Question 23

What does the vestubular folds do?

Answer 23

protective in function and initiates cough reflex (false vocal cords)

Question 24

What do the vocal folds do?

Answer 24

actively vibrate to produce sound (true vocal cords)

Question 25

What is the space between the vestibular folds

Answer 25

Rima Vestibuli

Question 26

What is the space between the vocal folds?

Answer 26

Rima Glottidis

Question 27

What includes the rima glottidis and the vocal folds?

Answer 27

Glottis

Question 28

What extends from the laryngeal inlet to the vestibular folds?

Answer 28

laryngeal vestibule

Question 29

What lies between the vestibular folds and vocal folds?

Answer 29

laryngeal ventricles

Question 30

What extends from the vocal folds to the inferior border of the cricoid cartilage?

Answer 30

infraglottic cavity

Question 31

What is a small diverticulum within the laryngeal ventricle?

Answer 31

laryngeal saccule

Question 32

In hoarseness due to excessive speaking or singing, lubricant from the laryngeal saccule is temporarily depleted and causes what?

Answer 32

laryngitis (inflammation of vocal cords)

Question 33

What are the elevators of the larynx?

Answer 33

thyrohyoid, stylohyoid, mylohyoid, digrastric, stylopharyngeus, palatopharyngeus

Question 34

What are the depressors of the larynx?

Answer 34

Omohyoid, sternohyoid, and sternothyroid

Question 35

What are intrinsic muscles of the larynx important for?

Answer 35

speech

Question 36

What is the only intrinsic muscle of the larynx you can see from the outside?

Answer 36

cricothyroid muscle

Question 37

What does the cricothyroid muscle do?

Answer 37

tilts thryoid cartilage downward or cricoid cartilage upward therby tensing the vocal cords (raises pitch of voice)

Question 38

What is the cricothyroid muscle innervated by?

Answer 38

External laryngeal nerve

Question 39

What does the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle do?

Answer 39

abducts the vocal cords

Question 40

What nerve innervates all of the intrinsic laryngeal muscles besides the cricothyroid muscle?

Answer 40

recurrent laryngeal nerve

Question 41

What is the neutral position of the vocal cords and what does it allow?

Answer 41

partially abducted, allows breathing when muscles are paralyzed and reduces risk of suffocation

Question 42

What is the whisper muscle and what does it do?

Answer 42

lateral cricoarytenoid muscle; adducts the vocal cords

Question 43

What are the couphing and sneezing muscles and what do they do?

Answer 43

transverse arytenoid and oblique arytenoid muscles; adducts vocal cords

Question 44

What muscle is active during swallowing in the larynx?

Answer 44

aryepiglottic muscle; closes the laryngeal inlet

Question 45

what muscle is a continuation of the oblique arytenoid and lies within the aryepiglottic fold?

Answer 45

aryepiglottic muscle

Question 46

what muscle deepens the voice and lowers its pitch?

Answer 46

thyroarytenoid muscle

Question 47

What muscle prevents monotone and "fine-tunes" the voice and what does it do?

Answer 47

vocalis muscle; adjusts tension on the vocal cords during phonation

Question 48

What determines voice dimorphism?

Answer 48

length of vocal cords, size of resonating chamber, and thickness of vocal cords (responds to androgens)

Question 49

What is the most important nerve of the larynx?

Answer 49

recurrent laryngeal nerve

Question 50

What is does the recurrent laryngeal nerve sense?

Answer 50

mucosa of the larynx below vocal fold

Question 51

What nerve is sensory to the mucosa of larynx above the vocal folds?

Answer 51

internal laryngeal nerve

Question 52

What are the blood vessels that supply the larynx?

Answer 52

superior laryngeal and inferior laryngeal arteries