It's critical in helping you swallow effectively, keeping food from entering your lungs. When you swallow, the muscles in the larynx help close the epiglottis, a flap of cartilage that keeps food from entering your lungs.
Both men and women have a larynx, but women are less likely to have a noticeable bump in their throat, known as an Adam's apple. In fact, having an Adam's apple is so closely associated with the male sex that it's considered a secondary sex characteristic, just like having facial hair or having a deep voice.
However, some women also have a visible Adam's apple. There are reasons for the biological difference between males and females in the likelihood of having a visible Adam's apple.
The growth of the larynx is caused by testosterone , a male sex hormone. That's why men typically have a larger larynx and also a deeper voice than women. The larger the larynx, the more likely a person is to have a visible Adam's apple. The position of the larynx within the throat also causes it to protrude outward more in males, giving men a visible Adam's apple.
In women, the thyroid cartilage sits at a degree angle, keeping it closer to the throat than the thyroid cartilage of men, which sits at a degree angle. This surgery is known as a chondrolaryngoplasty, also known as a tracheal shave. The cosmetic surgery is considered safe and important for the quality of life. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Fitzpatrick, Thomas H. Anatomy, head and neck, Adam's apple.
Updated October 27, Another name for the larynx is the voice box , and it's in the throat. The larynx is what gives you your voice, whether you're talking, laughing, whispering, singing, or shouting. You can find your larynx by touching the front of your throat and humming. When you feel vibrations under your fingers, you've found it!
When the larynx grows larger during puberty, it sticks out at the front of the throat. This is what's called an Adam's apple. This is also the reason why dudes speak in deeper tones. Related: Why are people left- or right- handed?
Girls and boys start out with similarly sized thyroid cartilage, but this changes when they hit puberty. The boys' Adam's apples become noticeably bigger and their voices change as their testosterone levels increase. The question "Why don't women have Adam's apples? Some women do. But a trickier question is why we often can't see them.
If you're unfamiliar with the term, an Adam's apple is the lump you can sometimes see in the middle of a man's throat.
It gets its name from the biblical story of the Garden of Eden. According to legend, Adam got a piece of the forbidden fruit stuck in his throat, and all men following have evidence of that event in the form of an Adam's apple [source: KidsHealth ]. That's folklore. But in reality, the Adam's apple is a result of a boy's voice box larynx growing.
The noticeable bump of cartilage starts to become evident during puberty, when the voice box gets bigger. This enlargement is what causes the voice to deepen.
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