Adam's apple

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Adam's apple (disambiguation).

The human larynx rests in a frame of cartilage bound by ligaments and muscles. At the front is the thyroid cartilage, creating the lump at the front of the neck, known as the laryngeal prominence or more commonly as the Adam's apple. The lump, or protrusion, is caused by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx. Though more common in men, some women have Adam's Apples as well.

Regarding the etymology of the term "Adam's apple", Webster's 1913 dictionary states that the term "… is so called from a notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit, (an apple) sticking in the throat of our first parent." A reference to Adam in the Book of Genesis.

[edit] Laryngeal prominence

The Adam's apple is usually more prominent in adult men than in women or prepubescent girls or boys. Note that the growth of the larynx itself during puberty is responsible for the vocal instability in teenage boys, not the Adam's Apple. The Adam's Apple is merely the protrusion one sees of the thyroid cartilage making up the body of the larynx. Some suggest that the reason for the Adam's apple usually being more prominent in males is that the two laminae of the thyroid cartilage that form the protrusion meet at an angle of 90° in males but that angle is usually 120° in females. However, this doesn't explain why in some women with large Adam's Apples, they appear no different than what one would see on a man.

A prominent Adam's apple is commonly considered a male secondary sex characteristic though this is more of a perception than anything pointing to scientific fact since not all males have Adam's Apples and there are quite a few women who do.

For some women and a few men, the Adam's apple is more prominent than desired, and this is sometimes remedied by a chondrolaryngoplasty (thyroid chondroplasty), a type of plastic surgery to reduce the size of the Adam's apple. This surgery is not without risk as it can adversely affect the voice and cause permanent damage as well as leaving a visible scar.

[edit] Thyroid cartilage

The thyroid cartilage is the largest of the nine cartilages that make up the laryngeal skeleton, the cartilage structure in and around the trachea that contains the larynx. It is composed of two plate-like laminae that come together on the anterior side of the cartilage to form a peak, called the laryngeal prominence. This prominence is often referred to as the "Adam's apple". The laryngeal prominence is obvious in both sexes, but it tends to be somewhat more robust in the adult male. The lip of the thyroid cartilage just superior to the laryngeal prominence is called the thyroid notch or superior thyroid notch.

The two laminae that make up the main lateral, surfaces of the thyroid cartilage extend obliquely to cover either side of the trachea. The posterior edge of each lamina articulates with the cricoid cartilage inferiorly at a joint called the cricothyroid joint. Movement of the cartilage at this joint produces a change in tension at the vocal folds, which in turn produces variation in voice. The entire superior edge of the thyroid cartilage is attached to the hyoid bone by the thyroid membrane.

The thyroid cartilage forms the bulk of the anterior wall of the larynx, and serves to protect the vocal folds ("vocal cords") which are located directly behind it. It also serves as an attachment for several laryngeal muscles.

[edit] Additional images

Larynx	Ligaments of the larynx. Posterior view.	Sagittal section of the larynx and upper part of the trachea.	Coronal section of larynx and upper part of trachea.
The entrance to the larynx, viewed from behind.	Side view of the larynx, showing muscular attachments.	Muscles of larynx. Side view. Right lamina of thyroid cartilage removed.	Muscles of the larynx, seen from above.

de:Adamsapfel et:Kõrisõlm eo:Tireoido es:Nuez (anatomía) fr:Pomme d'Adam id:Jakun it:Pomo d'Adamo nl:Adamsappel ja:喉頭隆起 pl:Jabłko Adama sv:Adamsäpple wa:Gaviote zh:喉结