Adam's apple
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| Adam's apple | |
|---|---|
| An example of male laryngeal prominence. | |
| Latin | prominentia laryngea |
| Precursor | 4th and 6th branchial arch |
| Dorlands/Elsevier | p_36/12669875 |
The Adam's apple - more clinically known as the laryngeal prominence - is a feature of the human neck. This lump, or protrusion, is formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx.
Sex differences
The laryngeal prominence 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 laryngeal prominence. The laryngeal prominence is merely the protrusion one sees of the thyroid cartilage making up the body of the larynx. Some suggest that the reason for the laryngeal prominence 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. This theory, however, seems more like conjecture when the fact is taken into consideration that with most women with a large laryngeal prominence appear no different from those seen on men.
A prominent laryngeal prominence 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 large laryngeal prominence and there are quite a few women who do.
Surgery
The laryngeal prominence can be 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 laryngeal prominence. This surgery is not without risk as it can adversely affect the voice and cause permanent damage as well as leaving a visible scar. This surgery can be part of sex reassignment therapy for male-to-female transgender or transsexual people (transwomen).
External links
- laryngeal+prominence at eMedicine Dictionary
Human anatomical features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Head | Skull · Forehead · Eye · Ear · Nose · Mouth · Tongue · Teeth · Jaw · Face · Cheek · Chin |  |
| Neck | Throat · Adam's apple | |
| Torso | Shoulders · Spine · Breast · Chest · Ribcage · Abdomen · Navel Sex organs (Clitoris · Vagina · Penis · Scrotum · Testicle) – Hip · Anus · Buttocks | |
| Limbs | Arm · Elbow · Forearm · Wrist · Hand · Finger (Thumb · Index · Middle · Ring · Little) · Leg · Lap · Thigh · Knee · Calf · Heel · Ankle · Foot · Toe (Hallux) | |
| Skin | Hair | |
General anatomy of neck (Throat • Pharynx • Larynx) | |
|---|---|
| Cartilages | Cricoid • Thyroid (Laryngeal prominence) • Epiglottis • Arytenoid • Cuneiform • Corniculate |
| Ligaments | extrinsic ligaments: Thyrohyoid membrane (Lateral thyrohyoid ligament, Median thyrohyoid ligament) • Hyoepiglottic ligament • Cricotracheal ligament intrinsic ligaments: Cricothyroid ligament |
| Folds and related structures | folds: (Glossoepiglottic, Aryepiglottic, Vocal, Vestibular) Vocal ligament • Ventricle of the larynx • Infraglottic cavity • Vestibule of larynx • Rima glottidis • Glottis |
| Triangles of the neck | Anterior of the neck (Muscular, Carotid, Submandibular, Submental)
Posterior of the neck (Occipital, Subclavian) Suboccipital |
| Fascia | Deep cervical fascia (Pretrachial fascia, Prevertebral fascia, Investing layer) • Carotid sheath • Buccopharyngeal fascia |
| Other | Retropharyngeal space |
bg:Адамова ябълка de:Adamsapfel et:Kõrisõlmeo:Tireoido fr:Pomme d'Adam id:Jakun it:Pomo d'Adamo he:גרוגרת ms:Jakun nl:Adamsappel ja:喉頭隆起 no:Adamseplesv:Adamsäpplewa:Gaviote
