Anatomy, Physiology, & Neurology of Voice Production

Vocabulary flashcards covering the anatomy, physiology, and neural control of voice production, including respiration, phonation, resonance, articulation, laryngeal structures, and motor pathways.

Respiration (in voice production)

The bottom-most stage in voice production that serves as the power source by providing air pressure and airflow.

Respiratory System Anatomy

The anatomical system supplying airflow for speech, including the nasal cavity, trachea, lungs, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, ribs, intercostal muscles, pleural cavity, thorax, abdomen, and diaphragm.

Inhalation

An active respiratory process where air is drawn into the lungs as muscles contract, the chest and lungs expand, and the diaphragm contracts and flattens.

Exhalation

A passive respiratory process where air is forced out of the lungs as muscles relax, lungs contract, and the diaphragm relaxes and moves up.

Speech Breathing

A specialized breathing pattern characterized by a relatively quick and rapid inhalation followed by a controlled and prolonged exhalation during speech.

Resting Tidal Volume (TV)

The volume of air exchanged during quiet, normal respiration.

Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV)

The volume of air that can be inhaled beyond normal tidal inspiration.

Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV)

The volume of air that can be exhaled beyond the resting lung position.

Residual Volume (RV)

The volume of air that remains in the lungs even after full expiration.

Dead Air

The volume of air within the respiratory system that never undergoes gas exchange.

Inspiratory Capacity (IC)

The maximum volume of air that can be inhaled after a normal exhalation, calculated as $\text{TV} + \text{IRV}$.

Functional Residual Capacity (FRC)

The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a normal exhalation, calculated as $\text{ERV} + \text{RV}$.

Vital Capacity (VC)

The maximum volume of air exhaled after a maximum inhalation, calculated as $\text{IRV} + \text{TV} + \text{ERV}$.

Total Lung Capacity (TLC)

The maximum volume of air the lungs can hold, calculated as $\text{VC} + \text{RV}$.

Phonation

The product of vibrating vocal folds within the larynx, dependent on complete adduction of the vocal folds and sufficient subglottic air pressure.

Laryngeal Cartilages and Structures

The main anatomical frameworks of the larynx including the hyoid bone, epiglottis, thyroid cartilage, arytenoid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, corniculate cartilage, and cuneiform cartilage.

Glottis

The opening between the true vocal folds located within the larynx.

Five Anatomical Layers of Vocal Folds

The tissue layers of the vocal folds comprising the squamous epithelium, superficial lamina propria (Reinke's space), intermediate lamina propria, deep lamina propria, and vocalis muscle.

Vocal Fold Functional Model Divisions

Functional classification of vocal fold layers into the Cover (epithelium and superficial lamina propria), Transition (intermediate and deep lamina propria forming the vocal ligament), and Body (vocalis muscle).

Vibratory Cycle of Vocal Folds

The process where increasing subglottic pressure opens closed vocal folds inferiorly then superiorly, followed by increased airflow and negative pressure (Bernoulli effect) that pulls them back to midline along with elastic recoil.

Vocal Fold Abduction

The movement of pulling the vocal folds apart from one another, which occurs during breathing.

Vocal Fold Adduction

The movement of bringing the vocal folds together at midline, necessary for phonation.

Intrinsic Muscles of the Larynx

Muscles controlling vocal fold movement and tension, including the lateral cricoarytenoid, transverse arytenoid, oblique arytenoid, posterior cricoarytenoid, cricothyroid, thyrovocalis, and thyromuscularis.

Vocal Fold Frequency

The number of vibratory cycles completed by the vocal folds per second, measured in Hertz ($\text{Hz}$) and perceived as pitch.

Vocal Fold Intensity

The strength of a sound measured in Decibels ($\text{dB}$), perceived as loudness, and strongly related to subglottic pressure and airflow.

Vocal Registers

Modes of vocal fold vibration including modal (typical conversational voice), vocal fry (low-frequency, pulse-like vibration), and falsetto (higher-pitched, lighter/less complete vibration).

Resonance

The quality of the perceived voice produced by modifying sound generated at the larynx as it travels through the oral or nasal cavities of the vocal tract.

Articulation

The complex process of shaping acoustic sound into phonemes using precise movement of articulators such as the lips, tongue, mandible, hard palate, soft palate, teeth, and cheeks.

Vagus Nerve (CN X)

The cranial nerve responsible for providing motor and sensory innervation to the laryngeal structures for voice production.

Superior Laryngeal Nerve (SLN)

A branch of the vagus nerve that controls the cricothyroid muscle to alter vocal fold tension and change pitch.

Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN)

A branch of the vagus nerve that innervates all intrinsic laryngeal muscles except the cricothyroid to control vocal fold movement; the left branch loops around the aortic arch before returning to the larynx.

Upper Motor Neurons (UMN) vs. Lower Motor Neurons (LMN)

UMNs originate in the brain to plan, control, and coordinate voluntary movement, whereas LMNs carry motor signals directly from the brain/spinal cord to muscles.