From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The laryngeal prominence—commonly known as the Adam's apple—is a feature of the human neck. This lump, or protrusion, is formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx.
[edit] 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. The laryngeal prominence is merely the protrusion one sees of the thyroid cartilage making up the body of the larynx. The laryngeal prominence is usually more prominent in adult males because the thyroid cartilage elongates during puberty, protruding out the front of the neck more noticeably. The result is that the two laminae (thin cartilage) of the thyroid cartilage that form the protrusion meet at an angle of 90° in males, and 120° in females, so there is less cartilage protruding out in females.
A prominent laryngeal prominence is commonly considered a male secondary sex characteristic though this is more of a perception because not all males have large laryngeal prominence and quite a few women do.
[edit] 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.[1] This surgery is not without risk as it can adversely affect the voice and cause permanent damage as well as leave a visible scar. This surgery can also be part of sex reassignment therapy for male-to-female transgender or transsexual people (transwomen).[2]
[edit] "Adam's apple" etymology
"Adam's apple" is a reference to forbidden fruit in the biblical book of Genesis. Though the text does not mention the laryngeal prominence or even an apple specifically, popular tradition traces the origin of the prominence to a piece of the forbidden fruit becoming caught in Adam's throat.
[edit] References
- ^ Wolfort FG, Dejerine ES, Ramos DJ, Parry RG (1990). "Chondrolaryngoplasty for appearance". Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 86 (3): 464–9; discussion 470. PMID 2385664.
- ^ Neumann K, Welzel C, Berghaus A (2003). "[Operative voice pitch raising in male-to-female transsexuals. A survey of our technique and results]" (in German). HNO 51 (1): 30–7. doi:10.1007/s00106-002-0654-4. PMID 12557095.
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