larynx /ler″ingks/ [Gk] , the organ of voice that is part of the upper air passage connecting the pharynx with the trachea. It accounts for a large bump in the neck called the Adam’s apple and is larger in men than in women, although it remains the same size in men and women until puberty. The larynx forms the caudal portion of the anterior wall of the pharynx and is lined with mucous membrane that is continuous with that of the pharynx and the trachea. The larynx extends vertically to the fourth, fifth, and sixth cervical vertebrae and is somewhat higher in women and children. It is composed of three single cartilages and three paired cartilages, all connected by ligaments, moved by various muscles and nerves, and with a blood supply from the common carotid artery and other vessels. The single cartilages are the thyroid, cricoid, and epiglottis. The paired cartilages are the arytenoid, corniculate, and cuneiform, which support the vocal folds. Also called voice box. −laryngeal, adj.
