158 ELEMENTS OF MAMMALIAN ANATOMY. 
to the larynx is the esophagus. By removing carefully 
the muscles and fibrous tissue from the cartilage the larynx 
is seen to be composed of five pieces: the epiglottis, thyroid 
cartilage, two arytenoid cartilages, and the cricoid cartilage 
(Fig. 20). The epiglottis is the small triangular cartilage 
that closes the glottis when food passes into the esophagus 
(Fig. 56). The thyroid cartilage constitutes the largest 
part of the larynx. Jn man it forms the prominence known 
as Adam’s apple. Dorsally the two halves of the thyroid 
cartilage are separated, each projecting craniad into -a 
process known as a cornu. The arytenoid cartilages are 
the two small paired pieces caudad to the thyroid, on the 
dorsal side. The cricoid cartilage forms a complete ring 
at the caudal end of the larynx (Fig. 20). 
There are a number of ligaments connecting the various 
parts of the larynx, the most important of which are the 
Fic. 82. DracRAMMATIC TRANSVERSE SECTION OF THE CHEST. 
ao, Aorta; br, bronchus; crd, spinal cord; esoph, esophagus; hd, head of 
rib; pa, parietal pleura; pe, cavity of the pleura; sp, spinous process; 
st, sternum; fb, tubercle of rib; tr, transverse process; vp, visceral 
pleura; t, thoracic duct; 7, sympathetic nerve cord; az, azygos vein; 
tre, trachea; v, pulmonary veins. 
