larynx

The larynx is the “voice box” perched at the top of the windpipe — the bump you feel as the Adam’s apple. It is a small framework of cartilage that does two big jobs: it guards the entrance to the lungs and it turns moving air into sound.

Inside sit the vocal cords, which can open wide for breathing or close and vibrate for speech. Above them, the leaf-shaped epiglottis folds down during swallowing so food slides past into the oesophagus rather than down the trachea. The larynx is also where a powerful cough is generated and where the airway is sealed during straining.

Because it is the narrowest gateway to the lower airway, swelling, spasm or a lodged object here can be dangerous, producing a harsh crowing sound called stridor. The larynx is also the structure a breathing tube passes through during intubation.