The Larynx

In my first class at CSUN in Communication Disorders, I took Speech Science! Notoriously difficult, I was warned by many that I would have to devote my life to this class. It wasn't the easiest, but it was so interesting and exciting, I didn't mind. It is basically anatomy from the waist up (excluding your limbs). As an extra credit project, we had to make a 3-D model of the larynx. Here is my model!




It's crazy because your larynx, or "voicebox" as some would call it, actually would fit around your pinky finger! So tiny, but so important. The bright orange pyramids with blue caps are the arytenoid cartilages, which control the movements of your vocal folds. Your vocal folds can be stretched, tensed, brought together and closed or opened, all to produce different sounds. The cartilages around this area are there mostly for protection.
Here is a video of the vocal folds in action!