Larynx Cartilages and Muscles

Larynx

Region that acts as a valve between the pharynx and trachea, responsible for protecting the airway, and stabilizing the torso

Membranous glottis

Superior 60% of the vocal folds

Cartilaginous glottis

Posterior 40% and the arytenoid cartilages

Unpaired laryngeal cartilages

The thyroid, cricoid, and epiglottis cartilages

Paired laryngeal cartilages

The arytenoid, corniculate, cuneiform, and triticeal cartilages

Cricoid cartilages

Ring-shaped cartilage that sits on top of the trachea

Epiglottis cartilage

Leaf-shaped cartilage that funnels food toward the esophagus

Thyroid cartilage

Butterfly-shaped cartilage that wraps around the anterior larynx

Thyroid notch

Unmerged part of the thyroid cartilage

Laryngeal prominence

Part of the thyroid cartilage that forms the “adam’s apple”

Corniculate cartilages

Cartilage that sits on the arytenoid cartilages

Arytenoid cartilages

Cartilage that sits on the cricoid cartilage, connecting to muscles and vocal folds

Vocal process

Medial attachment point of the arytenoid cartilages

Muscular process

Lateral attachment point of the arytenoid cartilages

Hyoid bone

Free-floating u-shaped bone that is highly mobile, anchoring tongue and larynx muslces

Cricothyroid joint

Synovial joint that lets the thyroid cartilage depress, elevate, and rotate anteriorly

Cricoarytenoid joint

Synovial joint that lets the arytenoid cartilages open and close the vocal folds

Intrinsic laryngeal muscles

Muscles fully attatched to the larynx that shorten, lengthen, abduct, or adduct the vocal folds

Laryngeal elevators

Muscles stretching superiorly from the hyoid, used in chewing, swallowing, and speech

Laryngeal depressors

Muscles stretching inferiorly from the thyroid or hyoid, stabilizing the hyoid and assisting in opening the mandible

Thyrovocalis

Laryngeal shortener in the vocal fold body

Cricothyroid muscle

Laryngeal lengthener that pulls the thyroid inferiory and anteriorly

Posterior cricoarytenoid

Laryngeal abductor that rotates arytenoids laterally

Thyromuscularis

Laryngeal adductor in the vocal fold body

Lateral cricoarytenoid

Laryngeal adductor that rotates arytenoids medially

Interarytenoid

Laryngeal adductor that pulls the arytenoids medially and the epiglottis posteriorly

Sternothyroid

Laryngeal depressor between the thyroid and sternum

Sternohyoid

Laryngeal depressor between the thyroid and sternum

Omohyoid

Laryngeal depressor between the hyoid and scapula

Thyrohyoid

Laryngeal depressor between the hyoid and thyroid

Digastric

Laryngeal elevator connected to the mandible anteriorly and the mastoid process posteriorly

Mylohyoid

Laryngeal elevator connected to the lateral mandible

Geniohyoid

Laryngeal elevator connected to the medial mandible

Stylohyoid

Laryngeal elevator connected to the mandible anteriorly and the styloid process posteriorly

Recurrent laryngeal nerve

Nerve innervating all laryngeal muscles other than the circothyroid

Superior laryngeal nerve

Nerve innervating the cricothyroid