Vestibular fold
Encyclopedia
The vestibular fold is one of two thick folds of mucous membrane, each enclosing a narrow band of fibrous tissue, the ventricular ligament, which is attached in front to the angle of the thyroid cartilage
Thyroid cartilage
The thyroid cartilage is the largest of the nine cartilages that make up the laryngeal skeleton, the cartilage structure in and around the trachea that contains the larynx....

 immediately below the attachment of the epiglottis
Epiglottis
The epiglottis is a flap that is made of elastic cartilage tissue covered with a mucous membrane, attached to the entrance of the larynx. It projects obliquely upwards behind the tongue and the hyoid bone, pointing dorsally. The term, like tonsils, is often incorrectly used to refer to the uvula...

, and behind to the antero-lateral surface of the arytenoid cartilage
Arytenoid cartilage
The arytenoid cartilages are a pair of small three-sided pyramids which form part of the larynx, to which the vocal folds are attached...

, a short distance above the vocal process
Vocal process
The anterior angle of the base of the arytenoid cartilage projects horizontally forward; it gives attachment to the vocal ligament, and is called the vocal process....

.

The lower border of this ligament, enclosed in mucous membrane
Mucous membrane
The mucous membranes are linings of mostly endodermal origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organs...

, forms a free crescentic margin, which constitutes the upper boundary of the ventricle of the larynx
Ventricle of the larynx
The ventricle of the larynx is a fusiform fossa, situated between the ventricular and vocal folds on either side, and extending nearly their entire length....

.

The vestibular folds of the larynx play a greater role in keeping food and drink out of the airway, breathing, and phonation (speech). People who have had their epiglottis removed because of cancer do not choke any more than when it was present.

They have a minimal role in normal phonation
Phonation
Phonation has slightly different meanings depending on the subfield of phonetics. Among some phoneticians, phonation is the process by which the vocal folds produce certain sounds through quasi-periodic vibration. This is the definition used among those who study laryngeal anatomy and physiology...

, but are often used to produce deep sonorous tones in Tibetan chant and Tuvan throat singing, as well as in musical screaming
Screaming (music)
Screaming is a vocal technique that is most popular in subgenres of heavy metal, punk and hard rock, including metalcore, deathcore, post-hardcore, groove metal, black metal, and grindcore...

 and the death growl
Death growl
A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, and harsh vocals among other names, is a vocalisation style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal and black metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres.Death...

singing style.

External links

- "Larynx, lateral view" - "Larynx, laryngoscopic view"
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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