Laryngeal vestibule

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Laryngeal vestibule
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Coronal section of larynx and upper part of trachea. (Laryngeal vestibule not labeled, but visible near region labeled "Tubercle")
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Identifiers
Latin vestibulum laryngis
TA A06.2.09.007
FMA 55406
Anatomical terminology

The portion of the cavity of the larynx above the vocal folds is called the laryngeal vestibule; it is wide and triangular in shape, its base or anterior wall presenting, however, about its center the backward projection of the tubercle of the epiglottis. It contains the vestibular folds, and between these and the vocal folds are the laryngeal ventricles. [1]

Larynx voice box, an organ in the neck of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals

The larynx, commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the top of the neck of tetrapods involved in breathing, producing sound, and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The larynx houses the vocal folds, and manipulates pitch and volume, which is essential for phonation. It is situated just below where the tract of the pharynx splits into the trachea and the esophagus. The word larynx comes from a similar Ancient Greek word.

Epiglottis thin flap in the oesophagus

The epiglottis is a flap in the throat that keeps food from entering the windpipe and the lungs. The flap is made of elastic cartilage covered with a mucous membrane, attached to the entrance of the larynx. It projects obliquely upwards behind the tongue and the hyoid bone, pointing dorsally. It stands open during breathing, allowing air into the larynx. During swallowing, it closes to prevent aspiration and forcing the swallowed liquids or food to go along the esophagus instead. It is thus the valve that diverts passage to either the trachea or the esophagus.

Laryngeal ventricle

The laryngeal ventricle, is a fusiform fossa, situated between the vestibular and vocal folds on either side, and extending nearly their entire length. There is also a sinus of Morgagni in the pharynx.

Contents

The vestibule is an opening in the lateral wall of the larynx, between the vestibular fold above and the vocal folds below. It is the inlet to another cavity in the lateral wall of larynx, the laryngeal ventricle. The vestibular fold is formed by the vestibular ligament extending from the lateral walls of the epiglottis to the arytenoid cartilage covered with mucous membrane. The vocal fold is the upper free margin of the conus elasticus which is covered by mucous membrane. The conus elasticus or lateral ligament is the lateral thickened part of the cricothyroid membrane.

Arytenoid cartilage

The arytenoid cartilages are a pair of small three-sided pyramids which form part of the larynx, to which the vocal folds are attached. These allow and aid in the vocal cords' movement.

Mucous membrane the protective layer, which lines the interior of hollow organs

A mucous membrane or mucosa is a membrane that lines various cavities in the body and covers the surface of internal organs. It consists of one or more layers of epithelial cells overlying a layer of loose connective tissue. It is mostly of endodermal origin and is continuous with the skin at various body openings such as the eyes, ears, inside the nose, inside the mouth, lip, vagina, the urethral opening and the anus. Some mucous membranes secrete mucus, a thick protective fluid. The function of the membrane is to stop pathogens and dirt from entering the body and to prevent bodily tissues from becoming dehydrated.

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Swallowing, sometimes called deglutition in scientific contexts, is the process in the human or animal body that allows for a substance to pass from the mouth, to the pharynx, and into the esophagus, while shutting the epiglottis. Swallowing is an important part of eating and drinking. If the process fails and the material goes through the trachea, then choking or pulmonary aspiration can occur. In the human body the automatic temporary closing of the epiglottis is controlled by the swallowing reflex.

Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle

The posterior cricoarytenoid muscles are small, paired muscles that extend from the posterior cricoid cartilage to the arytenoid cartilages in the larynx.

Cricothyroid ligament

The cricothyroid ligament is composed of two parts:

Laryngeal inlet

The laryngeal inlet is the opening that connects the pharynx and the larynx.

Thyroarytenoid muscle

The thyroarytenoid muscle is a broad, thin muscle that forms the body of the vocal fold and that supports the wall of the ventricle and its appendix. It functions to relax the vocal folds.

Thyrohyoid membrane

The thyrohyoid membrane is a broad, fibro-elastic sheet of the larynx. It is attached below to the upper border of the thyroid cartilage and to the front of its superior cornu, and above to the upper margin of the posterior surface of the body and greater cornua of the hyoid bone, thus passing behind the posterior surface of the body of the hyoid. It is separated from the hyoid bone by a mucous bursa, which facilitates the upward movement of the larynx during swallowing.

Cuneiform cartilages

In the human larynx, the cuneiform cartilages are two small, elongated pieces of yellow elastic cartilage, placed one on either side, in the aryepiglottic fold.

Superior thyroid artery

The superior thyroid artery arises from the external carotid artery just below the level of the greater cornu of the hyoid bone and ends in the thyroid gland.

Superior laryngeal nerve

The superior laryngeal nerve is a branch of the vagus nerve. It arises from the middle of the inferior ganglion of vagus nerve and in its course receives a branch from the superior cervical ganglion of the sympathetic nervous system.

Glossoepiglottic folds

The anterior or lingual surface of the epiglottis is curved forward, and covered on its upper, free part by mucous membrane which is reflected on to the sides and root of the tongue, forming a median and two lateral glossoepiglottic folds; the lateral folds are partly attached to the wall of the pharynx.

Aryepiglottic fold Folds near the larynx

The Aryepiglottic folds are triangular folds of mucous membrane enclosing ligamentous and muscular fibres. They are located at the entrance of the larynx, extending from the lateral borders of the epiglottis to the arytenoid cartilages, hence the name 'aryepiglottic'. They contain the aryepiglottic muscles and form the upper borders of the quadrangular membrane.

Vestibular fold

The vestibular fold is one of two thick folds of mucous membrane, each enclosing a narrow band of fibrous tissue, the vestibular ligament, which is attached in front to the angle of the thyroid cartilage immediately below the attachment of the epiglottis, and behind to the antero-lateral surface of the arytenoid cartilage, a short distance above the vocal process.

Infraglottic cavity

The infraglottic cavity is the portion of the larynx below the laryngeal ventricles and the rima glottidis.

The pharyngeal aponeurosis, is situated between the mucous and muscular layers.

Quadrangular membrane

The quadrangular membrane is a layer of submucosa. It contains the cuneiform cartilages. The membrane runs between the lateral aspects of the epiglottis and arytenoid cartilages on each side. The free inferior border of the quadrangular membrane is the vestibular fold which is the vestibular ligament when covered by mucosa. The superior border is in the aryepiglottic fold.

Laryngeal cavity

The laryngeal cavity extends from the laryngeal inlet downwards to the lower border of the cricoid cartilage where it is continuous with that of the trachea.

Pharynx part of the throat that is behind the mouth and nasal cavity

The pharynx is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity and above the oesophagus and larynx, or the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs. It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its structure varies across species.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1078 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

The public domain consists of all the creative works to which no exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly waived, or may be inapplicable.

<i>Grays Anatomy</i> English-language textbook of human anatomy

Gray's Anatomy is an English language textbook of human anatomy originally written by Henry Gray and illustrated by Henry Vandyke Carter. Earlier editions were called Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical, Anatomy of the Human Body and Gray's Anatomy: Descriptive and Applied, but the book's name is commonly shortened to, and later editions are titled, Gray's Anatomy. The book is widely regarded as an extremely influential work on the subject, and has continued to be revised and republished from its initial publication in 1858 to the present day. The latest edition of the book, the 41st, was published in September 2015.

Specific
  1. Painter, C. Arch Otorhinolaryngol (1986) 243: 329. doi:10.1007/BF00460212