596 THE HUMAN BODY. 



which may be compared to that of the sounding-board of a 

 yiolin. By movements of throat, soft palate, tongue, cheeks, 

 and lips the sounds emitted from the larynx are altered 

 or supplemented in various ways, and converted into 

 articulate language or speech. 



The Larynx lies in front of the neck, beneath the hyoid 

 bone and aboro the windpipe; in many persons it is 

 prominent, causing the projection known as " Adam's 

 apple." It consists of a framework of cartilages, partly 

 joined by true synovial joints and partly bound together 



Cs 



FIG. 156. The more important cartilages of the larynx from behind, t, 

 thyroid; Cs, its superior, and Ci, its inferior, horn of the right side; **, cricoid 

 cartilage; t, arytenoid cartilage; Pv, the corner to which the posterior end of 

 a vocal cord is attached ; Pm, corner on which the muscles which approximate 

 or separate the vocal cords are inserted; co, cartilage of Santorini. 



by membranes; muscles are added which move the car- 

 tilages with reference to one another; and the whole is lined 

 by a mucous membrane. 



The cartilages of the larynx (Fig. 156) are nine in number; 

 three single and median, and three pairs. The largest (t) 

 is called the thyroid, and consists of two halves which meet 

 at an angle in front, but separate behind so as to inclose a 

 V-shaped space, in which most of the remaining cartilages 

 lie. The epiglottis (not represented in the figure) is fixed 

 to the top of the thyroid cartilage and overhangs the entry 



