Larynx - Topic 3 Flashcards
What are the 3 funtions of the LARYNX?
Respiration: transports air between the pharynx (superior) and trachea (inferior).
Phonation: Houses the vocal folds.
Protection (of the airways): closes during swallowing and coughing.
Where is the Larynx located?
Between the Hyoid Bone and the Trachea, anterior to the oesophagus.
How many cartilages in the Laryngeal Skeleton:
9: 3 unpaired, 3 paired.
Name the unpaired laryngeal cartilages.
- Cricoid Cartilage
- Thyroid Cartilage
- Epiglottis
Name the paired cartilages of the Larynx.
- Arytenoid Cartilages
- Corniculate Cartilages
- Cunieform Cartilages
(Triticial Cartilages are not present in everybody and have no know function).
Where does the Epiglottis attach?
Epiglottis attaches to posterior surface of the tongue.
What is the most inferior cartilage in the laryngeal skeleton?
Cricoid Cartilage
What is the main function of the Epiglottis?
To cover the opening of the larynx during swallowing, preventing food and drink entering the respiratory system.
Laryngeal Prominence
Adam’s apple.
Anterior point of the Thyroid Cartilage?
Laryngeal Prominence.
Largest of the Laryngeal cartilages?
Thyroid Cartilage
Resting position of the Epiglottis:
Upright position, pointing superiorly. Larynx remains open allowing respiration.
Location of Esophagus?
Posterior to Larynx and Trachea.
Tongue during swallowing:
Muscles of tongue cause its posterior surface to move upwards towards the roof of the mouth.
Effect of posterior surface of tongue moving upwards towards roof of mouth during swallowing?
- forces bolus into pharynx.
* causes epiglottis to flip posteriorly, covering up the opening of the larynx.
Resting on top of the Arytenoid cartilages, and usually completely fused to them, are…?
The Corniculate cartilages
Highly mobile cartilages of the laryngeal skeleton sitting on top of the posterior cricoid cartilage. Very important in the movement of the vocal folds.
Arytenoid cartilages.
What does the Cricoid cartilage look like from a posterior view?
Cricoid cartilage has a large, flat, posterior portion.
Not always present in everyone. Embedded in a fold of membrane which runs from the borders of the epiglottis to the corniculate and arytenoid cartilages.
Cunieform Cartilages.
The posterior part of the thyroid cartilage has upper and lower extensions known as…?
The Superior Horn (extending superiorly towards the Hyoid bone).
The Inferior horn (overlays the cricoid cartilage. Appears to be connected to cricoid cartilage by a ligament).
What is the cartilage inferior to the cricoid cartilage?
The 1st tracheal cartilage.
What curves around the larynx from the front, to provide support and protection?
The Thyroid Cartilage
Laryngeal ligaments and membranes can be either…?
Extrinsic ligaments/membranes
or
Intrinsic ligaments/membranes
Generally, what do the Extrinsic ligaments/membranes attach the laryngeal components to?
External (non-laryngeal) structures.
Which two specific structures do Extrinsic Laryngeal ligaments/membranes attach laryngeal components to?
Hyoid Bone, superiorly.
Trachea, inferiorly.
What kind of ligaments/membranes interconnect parts of the larynx to each other?
Intrinsic ligaments/membranes.
Large sheet-like ligament connecting the Thyroid cartilage to the Hyoid bone.
Thyrohyoid ligament. (Intrinsic)
Ligament connecting the Cricoid cartilage with the first tracheal cartilage below?
Cricotracheal Ligament (Extrinsic)
Ligament continuous with the Thyrohyoid ligament (a lateral thickening of the Thyrohyoid ligament) and connects the Superior horn of the Thyroid cartilage, to the Hyoid bone.
Lateral Thyrohyoid ligament (Intrinsic)
What do the Intrinsic laryngeal ligaments/membranes do?
- Interconnect parts of the larynx.
2. Provide support for the vocal folds.
What is the Quadrangular Membrane?
A large, flat (and quadrangular shaped!) membrane that runs down the side of the Epiglottis to connect with the Arytenoid and Corniculate cartilages. (Intrinsic) From the Epiglottis, this membrane essetially creates a tube of tissue, through which, air passes into and out of the Larynx.
Which intrinsic laryngeal ligaments/membranes run along the inferior edge of the epiglottis to the corniculate cartilages?
The Aryepiglottic Folds
Where can we find the Cuneiform Cartilages?
Embedded in the Aryepiglottic Folds, which run along the inferior edge of the epiglottis to the corniculate cartilages. (Some people don’t have the cuneiform cartilages)
Which intrinsic laryngeal ligaments/membranes are formed by the thickened SUPERIOR border of the Quadrangular Membrane?
Aryepiglottic Folds
In a posterior view of the larynx, the large flat membrane between the epiglottis and the arytenoid cartilages is the..?
Quadrangular membrane.
The thickened upper border of the quadrangular membrane is called the…?
Aryepiglottic Fold.
Which 3 intrinsic ligaments make up the Conus Elasticus?
- Medial Cricothyroid Ligament
- Lateral Cricothyroid Ligament
- Vocal Ligament
Where is the Medial Cricothyroid Ligament?
Found near the mid-line and anteriorly between the cricoid and thyroid cartilages.
Where is the Lateral Cricothyroid Ligament?
Mostly connected to the vocal ligaments and the cricoid cartilage. It only has a small attachment to the thyroid cartilage.
Where are the Vocal Ligaments?
They are formed at the upper border of the lateral crycothyroid ligament, and run from the mid-line of the Thyroid cartilage anteriorly, to the arytenoid cartilages, posteriorly.
What are formed at the upper border of the lateral Crycothyroid Ligament and form the core (“skeleton”) for the Vocal Folds.
The Vocal Ligaments
The vocal folds are comprised of WHICH central ligament, overlayed by layers of muscle and mucous membrane.
The Vocal ligament.
From a superior view of the larynx, what is the small ligament found anteriorly, running between the cricoid and thyroid cartilages.
The Medial Criocothyroid Ligament.
What attaches anteriorly to the inner surface of the thyroid cartilage, and posteriorly to the arytenoid cartilages. They extend across the larynx in an anterior-posterior direction.
The Vocal Ligaments.
What runs downwards and outwards from the vocal ligament to the cricoid cartilage on either side?
The Lateral Cricothyroid Ligament.
Name the paired masses of tissue that protrude into the air stream of the larynx.
The Vocal folds.
What is the space between the vocal folds called?
The Rima Glottidis.
What is the vocal apparatus called?
the Glottis
What does the Glottis consist of?
The Vocal Folds + the Rima Glottidis.
Shape of the rima glottidis during normal respiration?
Narrow and wedge shaped.
Shape of the rima glottidis during forced respiration?
Wide and kite shaped.
Shape of the rima glottidis during phonation?
Slit-like.