Unit 3: Phonation

Question 1

Phonation

Answer 1

source of voice for speech, due to vibration of vocal folds which can be moved into or out of airstream

Question 2

vocal folds

Answer 2

part of larynx. a “musculo-cartilaginous structure” at rostral end of trachea.

Question 3

Larynx

Answer 3

Primary function is to protect the airway. It is the valve that keeps food and liquid out of the lungs. Has been hijacked for speech production.

It is suspended from the hyoid bone .

runs from the 3rd to 6th cervical vertebrae.

sits atop the last ring of the trachea. interior is lined with membranes.

44mm long male
36mm long female

Question 4

hyoid bone

Answer 4

only bone in the body that is not connected to any other bones. larynx is suspended from it. It can move back and forth.

movement of bone can influence position of larynx. move in tandem with larynx

Question 5

paired cartilage of larynx

Answer 5

Arytenoid - movement controls the size of the glottis** (hyaline - ossify) - key attachment point of each vocal fold

Corniculates - no real known function or role in phonation (elastic)

Cuneiforms - no real known function or role in phonation (elastic)

Question 6

unpaired cartilage of larynx

Answer 6

Epiglottis - can fold down posteriorly to help protect airway during swallowing - NO phonation (elastic)

Thyroid Cartilage Lamina (hyaline - ossify)

Cricoid Cartilage - sits immediately on trachea (hyaline - ossify).

Question 7

vocal folds/cords

Answer 7

bands of tissue where the membranous lining of the inside of the larynx sort of folds in.

• one vocal fold runs from each arytenoid to thyroid, inside each notch.

Question 8

Thyrohyoid membrane

Answer 8

extends from the upper border of the thyroid cartilage to

Question 9

Quadrangular membrane

Answer 9

runs from arytenoids to epiglottis/thyroid cartilage.

Lower free forms false vocal fold (ventricular fold)

upper margins are muscular = aryepiglottic folds

Question 10

Cricothyroid membrane (or conus elasticus)

Answer 10

extends from the upper margin of the cricoid cartilage to attach to the back of the thyroid cartilage anteriorly and the arytenoid cartilage posteriorly.

Its upper free margin is the true vocal fold.

Question 11

cricotracheal membrane

Answer 11

forms the connection of the larynx to the trachea

Question 12

glottis

Answer 12

the space variable between the true vocal folds, 12-15mm long

Question 13

extrinsic

Answer 13

means that these muscles have one attachment point in the structure (larynx) and another one somewhere else.

Question 14

intrinsic

Answer 14

muscles entirely contained within the larynx

Question 15

Bernoulli Principle

Answer 15

Given a constant volume flow of air or fluid, at a point of constriction there will be a decrease in pressure perpendicular to the flow and and increase in velocity of the flow.

Question 16

Aerodynamic Myoelastic theory (ADMET)

Answer 16

Vocal folds closing again after an airstream blows them open

Question 17

vocal/modal registers

Answer 17

Modal register - involves shortened somewhat folds vibrating in undulating pattern.

Pulse/Glottal Fry - The folds are slackened and air bubbles through but folds closed most of the time. You can hear individual bursts of air.

Falsetto - the folds are thinned and lengthened and tensed for high frequencies. vibrating at high rate.

Question 18

Transglottal Pressure Drop

Answer 18

This needs to be 6 to 10cm of water (above atmospheris pressure below the vocal folds) for normal modal phonation.

Question 19

variants of modal registers

Answer 19

Modal Phonation - Neutral glottis, inferior section never closes completely, but superior section does. Folds vibrate over full length, but not synchronously along length.

Breathy Phonation - Aryetinoids not pressed together, superior section never closes fully, noise due to turbulent airflow.

Creaky/pressed phonation - Aryetinoids pressed firmly together, folds more uniform along length and closure more abrupt.

Question 20

Fundamental frequency

Answer 20

Frequency of vibration of the vocal folds. # of cycles the vocal folds go through per second. (we perceive this as pitch)

Controlled by the cricothyroids in conjunction with the thyrovocalis muscle.

asking a question requires increasing fundamental frequency even as pressure is dropping which requires laryngeal adjustments.

Question 21

Laryngeal Development

Answer 21

Males and females have the similar length of vocal folds (and high fundamental frequency) until puberty in which male length spikes up.