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The cartilage-framed voice box between the throat and trachea that produces sound and guards the airway during swallowing.
Medically reviewed & updated
The larynx, commonly called the voice box, is a short, cartilage-framed organ in the front of the neck that connects the pharynx (throat) above to the trachea (windpipe) below. It serves three main roles: producing the voice, protecting the lower airway during swallowing, and conducting air into and out of the lungs.
The larynx sits in the midline of the neck, roughly at the level of the third through sixth cervical vertebrae. Its framework is built from nine cartilages: three unpaired (the thyroid cartilage, which forms the "Adam's apple"; the cricoid cartilage; and the leaf-shaped epiglottis) and three paired (the arytenoid, corniculate, and cuneiform cartilages). Stretched across the inside are the vocal folds (vocal cords), bands of fibroelastic tissue anchored to the thyroid cartilage in front and the arytenoid cartilages behind. The gap between the vocal folds is called the glottis. Small intrinsic muscles change the tension, length, and position of the vocal folds, while the recurrent and superior laryngeal nerves (branches of the vagus nerve) supply the larynx.
Sound is produced when exhaled air passes through the closed or partly closed vocal folds and makes them vibrate; adjusting their tension changes pitch, and the throat, mouth, and nose shape the sound into speech. The larynx also acts as a protective gateway: during swallowing, the epiglottis folds down and the vocal folds close to keep food and liquid out of the airway, directing them into the esophagus instead. As an airway, the open glottis lets air flow freely to and from the lungs. Closing the glottis also allows the buildup of pressure needed for coughing and for stabilizing the chest during heavy lifting.
Laryngitis is inflammation of the larynx that causes hoarseness or voice loss, often from infection or overuse. Vocal cord nodules and polyps can develop from strain. Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, sometimes during thyroid or neck surgery, can paralyze a vocal cord and affect the voice and airway. Laryngeal cancer is strongly associated with smoking and alcohol use. In emergencies, swelling or a foreign body at the larynx can block the airway, and the cricoid cartilage region is a landmark for emergency airway procedures.
This page is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice.