4.5.1 Introduction to the larynx
The larynx controls the passage of air into and out of the trachea. The muscles of the larynx can both open and close the airway. In addition the muscles of the larynx adjust the length and tension of the vocal folds, leading to the production of voice sounds.
We’ll start by seeing where the larynx is, and what it looks like from behind and from above. Next we’ll look at the cartilages of the larynx and the vocal ligaments. Then we’ll look at the muscles, and the movements they produce. At the end of this section we’ll also see the infrahyoid muscles that are in front of the larynx, and the thyroid gland that’s just below it.