Larynx, cartilage of larynx. The largest cartilage of the larynx

One of the anatomical formations of the upper respiratory tract is the larynx. To the common man, it appears to be a mobile tube, which somewhere in its depth contains the vocal cords involved in the formation of the voice. Usually on this knowledge ends. In fact, everything is a bit more complicated. Therefore, it is worth talking about this in more detail.

Topography

The larynx is located opposite the IV, V and VI cervical vertebrae, starting immediately behind the hyoid bone and passing along the front surface of the neck. Behind her is a sip. She has a communication with the larynx through the entrance to the larynx, but in order for food not to enter the lungs and air into the stomach, nature has provided such an important detail as an epiglottis that covers the pharyngeal lumen during inspiration and moves the larynx by swallowing, dividing Thus the functions of these organs.

On the sides of the larynx there are large neurovascular bundles of the neck, and in front of it all is covered with muscles, fascia and thyroid gland. From below it passes into the trachea, and then into the bronchi.

In addition to the muscular component, there is also cartilaginous, represented by nine half rings, which ensure the reliability and mobility of the organ.

Features for men

A characteristic feature of the structure of the larynx in representatives of the stronger sex is the presence of Adam's apple, or Adam's apple. This is part of the thyroid cartilage, which for some unknown reason is stronger in men than in women. Although it would be more logical to assume the opposite situation, after all, the muscular skeleton of the neck, which should cover the cartilage, is weaker in women.

Anatomy

The larynx is a cavity, which is covered from the inside with a smooth and moist tissue - the mucous membrane. Conditionally, the entire body cavity is divided into three sections: upper, middle and lower. Upper - this is the threshold of the larynx, they are narrowed downwards in the form of a funnel. The middle is the gap between false and true vocal folds. The lower part serves for communication with the trachea. The most important and complex in structure department is the middle one. There are cartilages and laryngeal ligaments, thanks to which a voice is formed.

Education of voice

The space between the vocal cords is called the "voice gap". The contraction of the muscles of the larynx changes the tension of the ligaments, and the configuration of the gap changes. When a person exhales, the air passes through the vocal cavity, causing the ligaments to vibrate. This is what produces the sounds we are making, in particular the vowels. In order to pronounce a consonant sound, the participation of the sky, tongue, teeth and lips is also necessary. Their coordinated work allows you to talk, sing and even imitate the sounds of the environment and imitate the voices of other people or animals. The coarser low voice in men is explained by the fact that their ligaments are anatomically longer, which means that they vibrate with greater amplitude.

Ontogenesis

Depending on the age of a person, the structure of the larynx can also change. This is partly why men have a breakdown in their voices after puberty. Newborns and babies have a short and wide larynx, it is located higher than that of an adult. In it there are no caracolar cartilages and thycophelatal ligaments. It will take its final form only by thirteen years.

Larynx wall

If viewed from a topographic point of view, then from the outside inward, its layers are arranged as follows:

• Leather.
• Subcutaneous tissue.
• Cartilage, ligaments, muscles.
• Fibrous-elastic sheath (represented by connective tissue).
• Mucous is a multinucleate ciliated epithelium and fibers of unformed connective tissue, which fuse with the previous layer.
• External connective plate - elastic, covers the cartilages of the larynx.

Rigid framework of the larynx

As already mentioned above, there is a phylogenetically formed apparatus that supports the larynx. Cartilages of the larynx are dense semicircles that hold the rest of the tissue of this part of the neck and give the organ the appearance of a hollow tube. Between them they are connected by bundles. Distinguish between single and paired cartilages of the larynx.

Single cartilage

In the anatomy of the organ, three cartilages are isolated, which do not have twins. Unpaired cartilages of the larynx are located along one axis, one on top of the other.

1. The epiglottis cartilage, or epiglottis, is a thin plate shaped like a leaf or petal of a flower. The wide part is located above the thyroid cartilage, and the narrow part, also called the stalk, is attached to its inner corner.
2. Thyroid - the largest cartilage of the larynx, located between the epiglottis and cricoid cartilage. Its name corresponds to both the form and the functions of this part of the organ. Thyroid cartilage of the larynx serves to protect its internal part from traumatization. It is formed by two quadrangular plates, merging in the middle. In this place a crest is formed, on top of which there is an elevation to which vocal cords are attached. On the sides the plates have paired processes - horns (upper and lower). Those that are below, are articulated with cricoid cartilage, and the upper ones - with a hyoid bone. On the outside of the cartilage there is an oblique line, to which the outer muscles of the larynx are partially attached.
3. The cricoid cartilage of the larynx is the basis of the skeleton of the organ. The form of it completely corresponds to the name: it is similar to the male ring, deployed by the sexton back. On the sides there are articular surfaces for connection with arytenoid and thyroid cartilage. This is the second major cartilage of the larynx.

Pairwise cartilage

They are also three, because nature loves symmetry and strives to show this love in any possible case:

1. Cherpalovnye. The arytenoid cartilage of the larynx resembles a triangular pyramid, whose apex is turned back and slightly to the center of the body. Its base is part of the joint surface with a cricoid cartilage. In the corners of the pyramid are attached muscles: in front - the voice, and behind - the back and the front perestnecherpalovidnye muscles.
2. Rozhkovidnye are above the tops of the arytenoid cartilages.
3. Wedge-shaped are usually located in the scoop-epiglottis folds. The last two pairs of cartilage are sesamoid and can vary in shape and arrangement.

All these formations give shape to an organ such as the larynx. Cartilages of the larynx perform the functions necessary to maintain normal human life. This is especially noticeable with regard to voice formation.

Joints

As already mentioned above, the cartilage is interconnected by means of ligaments and joints. In the larynx, two paired joints are distinguished:

1. Between the cricoid and thyroid cartilage. They are formed by the lateral surfaces of the cricoid cartilage, which adjoin the lower horn of the thyroid. When moving in this joint, the tension of the ligaments changes, and, consequently, the height of the voice.
2. Between the cricoid and arytenoid cartilage. It is formed by the articular surfaces (lower parts of the pyramid) of arytenoid cartilages and articular area of the cricoid cartilage. Moving relative to each other, these anatomical formations change the width of the glottis.

Bundles

Being a mobile organ, ligaments have a great influence on how the larynx is arranged. The cartilages of the larynx are maintained in dynamic equilibrium by means of connective tissue strands:

1. The hypothygous ligament is a part of the large shield-membrane with which the whole larynx is attached to the hyoid bone. Through it passes a neurovascular bundle, a nourishing organ.
2. The sciatic-ligament ligament serves to connect the epiglottis with the thyroid cartilage.
3. Sublingual-epiglottis ligament.
4. The perstetrachive ligament binds the larynx to the trachea, is attached to the first cartilage of the larynx.
5. The conical ligament unites the cricoid and thyroid cartilage. In fact, it is a continuation of the elastic membrane that runs along the inner surface of the larynx. It is an interlayer between cartilage and mucosa.
6. The voice fold is also part of the elastic cone, covering the vocal muscle.
7. Cherpaladnaport ligament.
8. The tongue-lingual ligaments unite the root of the tongue and the anterior surface of the epiglottis.

Muscles

There are two classifications of the larynx muscles . The first is functional. She divides all the muscles into:

• Constrictors that narrow the vocal cavity and laryngeal cavity, making it difficult to pass the air.
• Dilators are necessary for the expansion of the larynx and the glottis, respectively.
• Muscles that can change the tension of the vocal cords.

According to the second classification, they are divided into external and internal. Let's talk about them in more detail.

Outer muscles

The external muscles wrap the larynx. Cartilages of the larynx are supported not only from the inside, but also from the outside. Conditionally, the anatomists divide the outer group by two more: the first one can include those muscles that are attached to the thyroid cartilage, and to the second - those attached to the bones of the facial skeleton.

First group:

• Sternotum;
• Hypoglossary.

The second group:

• Chestnut-sublingual;
• Shovel-hyoid;
• Shilo-hyoid;
• Bipedal;
• Chin and sublingual.

Internal muscles

It is necessary to change the position of the epiglottis and help it to perform its functions, as well as to change the configuration of the glottis. These muscles include:

• Cherpalnoadortal, which forms cherpalodnagortannym fold. During swallowing, the contraction of this muscle changes the position of the epiglottis in such a way that it overlaps the entrance to the larynx and does not allow food there.
• Schitonadocratnaja, on the contrary, at reduction delays an epiglottis on itself and opens a throat.
• Lateral transversely pagus regulates the width of the glottis. When it contracts, the ligaments come together and the voice gap becomes narrower.
• The posterior translumeric papillae contract with inspiration, and the vocal folds diverge, stretching back and forth, allowing air to pass further into the airways.
• The voice muscle is responsible for the characteristics of the vocal cords, whether they are long or short, taut or relaxed, are they the same in relation to each other. From the work of this muscle depends on the timbre of the voice, its aberrations, vocal abilities.

Functions of the larynx

The first of the functions, of course, is respiratory. And it consists in regulating the air flow that passes through the respiratory tract. Changing the width of the glottis does not allow air to enter the trachea and bronchi excessively during inhalation . Conversely, air can not leave the lungs too quickly until it has passed through the gas exchange.

The ciliated epithelium of the mucous larynx takes on its second function - protective. It is manifested in the fact that small particles of dust and food do not enter the lower respiratory tract due to the well-coordinated work of cilia. In addition, the nerve endings, many of which are present on the mucosa, are very sensitive to foreign bodies and provoke an attack of coughing with irritation. At this moment, the epiglottis blocks the entrance to the larynx, and nothing extraneous enters there. If the object still hits the larynx, the cartilages of the larynx interact reflexively with each other, and the glottis overlaps. This, on the one hand, prevents food and other bodies from getting into the bronchi, on the other - it blocks the access of air. If help does not come quickly, then a person dies.

The last in our list is the voice-forming function of the larynx. It is completely dependent on the anatomical structure of the larynx and on how much a person owns his voice device. In the process of growth and development, people learn to speak, sing, recite poetry and prose, imitate the voices of animals or the sounds of the environment, and sometimes even parody other people. The higher the level of control of your body, the more opportunities a person has.

This is in brief a normal topographic anatomy and physiology of the larynx. From the article you learned about the important function it performs in the activity of the human body and that the cartilages of the larynx play here not the least role. Thanks to her, we breathe normally, speak and do not choke every time we eat something. Unfortunately, it is more prone to infectious diseases and tumor processes