The term larynx is applied to define a tubular organ which is made up of 9 cartilages. This structure is responsible for communicating the pharynx with the trachea and is located in front of it. Among the cartilages that compose it are the following: odd: made up of the Cricoides, Thyroid and Epiglottis; Pairs: composed of Arytenoid, Corniculate and Cuneiform cartilage. Its exact location in the anterior part of the neck, at the level of cervical vertebrae C3, C4, C5 and C6.
Cartilages, in addition to being the ones that make up this structure, are characterized by being flexible, in addition to the fact that they are the support of the vocal cords, those that allow human beings to generate sounds. For its part the throat, mouth and nose are the cavities that are responsible for modulating and amplifying the sound emitted from the larynx.
In the internal part of the larynx, a series of muscles and membranes are located, these structures are what make up the so-called vocal cords, these placements are mobilized capacity that allows them to tense or relax, which modifies the hole that is between them when which is called the glottis.
Regarding the regulation of the air passage at this level when speaking, it is responsible for producing the voice, the tone of the voice will however depend on various variants such as diameter and shape, in women and people with voice The high pitch is usually a little smaller, but in the case of those who have a lower tone of voice it is because it is usually a little wider.
Those sounds that are emitted thanks to the action of the larynx, can be transformed into words, this thanks to the intervention of the muscles of the mouth and tongue.
On the other hand, in the cases of the invasion of a virus or a bacterium in that area, the swelling of the vocal folds and cancer are some of the diseases that can cause great damage in the larynx. In the specific case of laryngeal cancer, the most frequent symptoms are a change in the voice, frequent coughing, earache, the appearance of a lump in the throat and difficulty swallowing food, just to name the most important.
