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Booklet: What You Need to Know about
Laryngeal Cancer |
The Larynx
The larynx, also called the voice box, is a 2-inch-long, tube-shaped
organ in the neck. We use the larynx when we breathe, talk, or swallow.
The larynx is at the top of the windpipe (trachea).
Its walls are made of cartilage.
The large cartilage that forms the front of the larynx is sometimes called
the Adam's apple. The vocal cords,
two bands of muscle, form a "V" inside the larynx.
![[Diagram of the larynx and the normal pathways for air and food]](lar1.gif)
Each time we inhale (breathe in), air goes into our nose or mouth, then
through the larynx, down the trachea, and into our lungs. When we exhale
(breathe out), the air goes the other way. When we breathe, the vocal cords
are relaxed, and air moves through the space between them without making any
sound.
![[Diagram of the larynx from above]](lar2.gif)
When we talk, the vocal cords tighten up and move closer together. Air
from the lungs is forced between them and makes them vibrate, producing the
sound of our voice. The tongue, lips, and teeth form this sound into words.
The
esophagus, a tube that
carries food from the mouth to the stomach, is just behind the trachea and
the larynx. The openings of the esophagus and the larynx are very close
together in the throat. When we swallow, a flap called the
epiglottis
moves down over the larynx to keep food out of the windpipe.
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