How does the Adam's apple work in men? Adam's apple in men and women

At school they carefully explained how the heart and brain work, what functions the lungs and kidneys perform. But they hardly told us why the Adam’s apple was needed. As a result, many adults have no idea about the functions of this part of the body. Many people are generally mistaken: they believe that this is a sign of a man’s sexual strength or that women do not have such a part of the body. Let's understand true purpose, structure, functions, sizes of the “Adam’s apple”...

Structure and features

What does the Adam's apple represent for men? Externally, this part of the body looks like a lump protruding from the throat. When swallowing it moves. There is a misconception: the Adam's apple is part of the thyroid gland. This is mistake. The protrusion on the throat has nothing to do with the gland, but is thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx. The structure is quite simple - it includes double cartilaginous plates connected under:

Right angle (in adults, genital mature men).
Obtuse angle (in small children, women, some men with an invisible “Adam's apple”).

Thus, the Adam's apple exists in all people, regardless of gender and age. It’s just that in representatives of the stronger sex it is larger and more noticeable. In small children and women, the throat lump is “hidden”.

By the way, in children of both sexes until puberty, the throat looks the same. After reaching adolescence, boys develop a cartilaginous lump that increases throughout puberty. In sexually mature men, the lump does not increase (it can only harden, become less mobile, which is associated with compaction cartilage tissue). And vice versa - if before the end of puberty male Adam's apple If he didn’t start appearing, then he won’t appear at 25-30 years old.

Main functions

Why do men and women have an Adam's apple? And in general, is an Adam’s apple needed or is it a rudiment without which a person can easily live? The Adam's apple is needed - it protects the throat and is involved in the formation of the voice:

Protection of the throat (larynx, thyroid gland, vocal cords) from physical damage. When struck, the load first goes directly to the cartilaginous bump - it is painful, but not fatal.
Participation in voice education. Here necessary elements, stretching the vocal cords. Noticed: the more a man has “ adam's apple", the rougher the voice will be. Women have a thinner and higher-pitched voice because this part of the body is less pronounced. IN adolescence in boys, the voice changes - the Adam's apple changes the angle of connection, the voice becomes rougher, and begins to stretch the vocal cords differently).

Connection with potency

There is an opinion: a bulging Adam's apple in guys is a sign of strong potency. This is only partly true. Formation in puberty depends on testosterone levels. The more intense the male hormone is released, the more pronounced the throat lump will be. Potency also depends on testosterone. When a man becomes an adult, his Adam's apple stops changing, and the level of the hormone can fluctuate, and, accordingly, potency becomes worse. That is, the connection with sexual functionality can be traced in adolescence, but in mature men the relationship is lost.

When the lump on the throat is invisible

There are cases when in men the Adam's apple is invisible and the neck is straight. In fact, it is there, it was just formed at an obtuse angle. There are two more reasons why men may have a smooth throat:

If representatives of the stronger sex have a large layer of fat on the neck, it will seem that there is no Adam's apple.
During puberty, the young man produced little testosterone - as a rule, such a guy will have a high-pitched voice.

Visual absence of a protruding Adam's apple in a man (in the absence of other alarming symptoms) is not a sign of pathology - it is considered physical feature buildings.

Overhang too big

A large cartilaginous lump on the throat is dangerous, should it be removed? A large Adam's apple in men, like a small cartilaginous lump on the throat, is not a deviation; the cartilaginous formation has simply grown together at a more acute or obtuse angle. There are no standards by which one can determine whether this part of a person’s body protrudes too much or too little.

If an adult man notices that his Adam's apple has begun to grow larger, he should urgently visit a doctor - after puberty, the cartilaginous protrusion cannot increase. Changes in the size of the throat may indicate inflammation or tumors; immediate diagnosis and treatment must be started.

The Adam's apple is a part of the cartilaginous tissue of the larynx, which has grown together in a certain way and creates a kind of protrusion on the surface of the throat.

The name "Adam's apple" came to us from the Turkic language. Its meaning is translated as strong or solid. The Adam's apple is pronounced in men and weakly in women; it stands out especially strongly in mature men. It is also sometimes called Adam's apple. In everyday speech, the expression Adam's apple is sometimes used as something sinful.

In some nationalities, it is the presence of a pronounced Adam’s apple that is proof of a sexually mature man. Nowadays, this sign has acquired particular relevance.

The presence of a pronounced Adam's apple in women is evidence of failure in the functioning of the hormonal system.

As a person grows older, the cartilage of the larynx becomes more hard, its shape changes, and the process becomes especially active. during puberty from 13 to 18 years old.

Adam's apple consists of made of interconnected cartilage. Of these, the cricoid cartilage is considered the main cartilage, since all the others are formed on it.

The Adam's apple consists of two plates. Near the back of the cartilage, the plates are located at an angle. It is this angle that is called the Adam’s apple; it is the one that creates the protrusion on the throat. On the other side of the cricoid cartilage, a cartilage called the arytenoid is formed.

In fact, function The Adam's apple is much more complex than a reminder of original sin. Here are just a few of them: protective, distribution, resonant.

The Adam's apple has a different shape in men and women. In men he is more expressive and among women, often hidden under a thin layer of fat. Thanks to different structure Men have a rougher voice. When undergoing sex reassignment surgery, in some cases, surgery is also performed to change the shape of the Adam's apple. Especially if it is very noticeable. Thanks to the operation, not only the shape of the neck changes, but also the voice. The only drawback of this operation is that it is quite difficult to perform and can pose a threat to the life and health of the patient.

An alternative name for the Adam's apple is common among people - it is called Adam's apple. This name arose as a result of the fact that, according to the interpretation of the Old Testament, the apple offered by Eve got stuck in Adam’s throat. Due to this, a protrusion on the throat appeared, which later became known as Adam’s apple. This circumstance is a fairly logical explanation why the Adam’s apple is not so prominent in the female half of humanity.

In fact, of course, the purpose of the Adam's apple is much more important than a reminder of original sin. Functions Adam's apple is quite versatile, moreover, more features they are attributed to him although in fact he does not fulfill them.

Let us consider in detail what functions performs Adam's apple:

protective. In this case, the Adam's apple, due to its structure and solid structure, can in some situations serve as a shield for the vocal cords, thyroid gland, and soft tissues located behind it;
distribution. Falling into oral cavity food and air are distributed using the Adam's apple. Food enters the esophagus and air enters the lungs. At the same time, when swallowing, a person has enough air and does not lack it;
resonant. Forming the timbre of the voice, the Adam's apple moves along the throat and thus the voice becomes either high or low. In general, all the sounds that a person is capable of making would be impossible without the participation of the Adam's apple, be it singing or coughing.

There are several interesting features Adam's apple:

What problems can arise with the Adam's apple?

Sometimes the Adam's apple or the area in which it is located hurts, which causes severe discomfort in humans. Reasons a bunch of. Let's try to name some of them:

Many diseases remain unlisted. Some of them can be characterized as a result of the action of various colds and viral diseases. Others are the result of inflammation of the thyroid gland for various reasons.

I would like to note that if pain In the Adam's apple area, the first step should be to see a doctor.

A person should know about his body, if not everything, then at least as much as possible. More from school course we learn how the heart and brain work, what functions are assigned to the liver and kidneys, how oxygen enters the lungs and is distributed throughout the body, and so on. However, many of us do not even suspect why a person needs it and why the Adam’s apple is clearly pronounced in men, unlike in women.

Article outline

What is an Adam's apple?

Of course, the vast majority of people, even in adolescence or even adolescence, find out what kind of protrusion is so visible on their father’s throat. Parents explain that this is the Adam’s apple, however, not everyone can clearly explain why our body needs this element, and even more so, why it is so visible in men and not in women.

Everything is quite simple - the male Adam's apple, or as it is also called the Adam's apple, is two fused cartilages that cover the soft tissues and some organs of the throat. In representatives of the stronger sex, these cartilages grow together in a special way, at right angles.

Exactly because of this reason this element so clearly visible, especially if physiological characteristics arranged so that the cartilages grew together at a particularly acute angle.

As for them, their Adam's apple is almost never visible externally, since the cartilages grow together not at an acute angle, but at an obtuse one. This phenomenon has given rise to many tales and rumors that women do not have an Adam’s apple, however, this is just an unfounded misconception that has no evidence.

Functions of the Adam's apple

As for the functions of the Adam's apple, why it is given to us by nature, and so on, then everything is just as extremely simple. Those fused at the front wall of the throat are a rather rigid plate that hardens more with each passing year.

If we consider the purpose of this plate, then it performs a number of extremely important functions:

, thyroid gland and vocal cords from possible external damage. That is, if a person suddenly receives a blow to the throat, becomes a victim of suffocation, or there are any other force loads on the front of the neck, then a cartilage plate can completely save a life, then there will definitely be no questions about why it is needed.
The second extremely important function is that of voice formation. The point here is that the Adam's apple in both men and women takes a direct part in speaking. That is, when we want to say something, the vocal cords are stretched due to the element being discussed, thus taking part in the formation of speech. For the same reason, as boys grow up, their voice “breaks,” becoming rougher. “Breakage” occurs due to the fact that the Adam’s apple begins to take on a more acute angle, hardening and straining the vocal cords more strongly.

Biblical opinion

Speaking about why the Adam's apple is not visible in women, but vice versa in men, this fact has its own interpretation in the Old Testament. It says that when Adam ate the Forbidden fruit, a piece of fruit stuck in his throat, forming that same visible protrusion. However, the Old Testament does not say why the piece remained in the throat, so few people take this opinion seriously.

Conclusion

As can be seen from everything written above, the male Adam's apple is a rather important part of the body, and not an ordinary protrusion on the throat, which is not clear why it is needed. Protective functions throat and a rather large role in the formation of speech assigned to the Adam's apple, both in men and women, so all this information is a direct answer to the questions why and why.

Video

The video talks about how to quickly cure a cold, flu or acute respiratory viral infection. Opinion of an experienced doctor.

Attention, TODAY only!

The male Adam's apple is a pair of fused cartilages covered soft tissues. A man's Adam's apple is clearly defined, at a right angle, sharp. But many people wonder whether women have similar cartilage? If they exist, then you should find out why they are visible in men and why a person needs an Adam’s apple. A lot depends on this organ in the development of the voice of both men and women.

Main functions

The main function is protection - during eating and swallowing, this organ serves as a closure to the windpipe, which allows food to immediately enter the esophagus. The larynx is protected thyroid and the vocal cartilages are not susceptible to irritation. If you receive a sharp blow to the throat or become a victim of forceful loads on the throat or neck, then a fused vocal “bump” will save your life and prevent injury.

The formation of the voice also depends on this bump. The beginnings of a protruding Adam's apple appear in boys in early age. In both females and males, cartilage takes part not only in the formation of the voice and its development. When a person pronounces sounds, the ligaments are tense due to the element being discussed, becoming part of the speech and participating in it. This is especially pronounced in adolescence, when a boy’s voice breaks and becomes rougher. At this moment, the angle of the cone becomes sharper, stretches, hardens, and with it the vocal cords become stretched. The timbre becomes lower and rougher.

The male Adam's apple performs the following main functions:

Protective. By blocking the airway while eating, it prevents foreign substances from entering there.
Voice. This convexity directly affects the sound of the voice, especially in men.
Hormonal. Some doctors associate the size of the Adam's apple with the level of testosterone in the blood.

Also, the male Adam's apple indicates gender a person, when changing gender, surgery to remove or reduce the “Adam's apple” is possible. A protruding Adam's apple plays a number of important functions for a person. By touching the plate, a disturbance occurs in a person’s vocal cords.

Features and gender differences

In men, the Adam's apple, when damaged, affects the performance of the gland and the whole body suffers. The Adam's apple is associated with sounds made. The larynx is the cartilage that surrounds the glottis. The ligaments serve as a kind of strings that vibrate when exhaling. String length and tension depend on how high the pitch is. The vocal tract to the larynx influences loudness. A man’s vocal cone is a resonator for the larynx, that’s what it’s for.

Women also have an Adam's apple, it's just not visible.

It is mistakenly believed that women do not have an Adam's apple. Everyone has this bump from birth and performs the same protective functions for the larynx. In women, the protrusion of the larynx is located in the same area as in men, only it is surrounded by a minimal layer of fat, which can be felt by palpation. The elongated male vocal cords and the angle of inclination give the cartilage such a protruding shape. Formation female voice from child to stable depends on the Adam's apple. A protruding Adam's apple in men has many nerve endings, and if bruised or damaged, pain may occur. A sharp blow can cause severe pain shock or cardiac arrest. In hand-to-hand combat, methods of influencing the throat area are applicable, since this is a suffocation zone. Damage to a man's Adam's apple gives an instant signal to the brain. There is an Adam's apple (bump) and you should take care of it!

Removing the protrusion: how is it possible

Surgical intervention in the Adam's apple area is very difficult; problems with the voice and its complete transformation may occur. This is due to the complex laryngeal structure. Transsexuals can reveal their gender assignment by their Adam's apple, since it is not always possible to remove it, this the right organ in the voice system.

Also sexual activity can be distinguished using the size of the Adam's apple; if the bump is large, it means hypersexuality, but this is not scientifically confirmed.

IN human body No extra organs. Each cartilage or tissue and their structure influence the functioning of a particular system. Even if there is big Adam's apple which protrudes unnaturally can cause voice loss or problems with the larynx and thyroid gland. Therefore, this cartilaginous “lump” should be protected.

The legendary concept of "Adam's apple" - the male Adam's apple - since ancient times recalls the difference in gender characteristics in men and women. Following the biblical parable, the first man on Earth, Adam, ate the fruit of paradise, which was forbidden. It was for this heavenly pleasure that Adam was punished: he choked on an apple, and it was stuck in his throat forever in the form of an Adam's apple.

It was according to legend. In anatomy everything is much more concise and practical.

Adam's apple ( scientific name"Prominentia Laryngea") is a cartilaginous formation around the larynx by the plates of the thyroid gland.

The cartilages in males anatomically converge at an acute angle. Therefore, the protrusion of the Adam's apple in men is so much more pronounced than in women and small children. In the fairer sex and small children, the thyroid cartilages are joined together more smoothly, at an obtuse angle.

Are hormones to blame?

The Adam's apple, as a secondary sexual characteristic, has its own characteristic protrusion especially in men. IN isolated cases it can also stand out on a woman’s neck. But this is only if in the body of a woman male hormones more than women's. In fact, the Adam's apple will be present in both sexes. You can detect it in yourself if you make a guttural sound and at the same time feel the place on your neck where the vibration is felt most. There the Adam's apple will be in the larynx.

The function of the Adam's apple in the human body is to protect the vocal cords in the larynx. In addition, he covers Airways while swallowing food and water. Thanks to this, products enter the esophagus and stomach, and people do not choke when eating. The Adam's apple is directly involved in stretching the vocal cords at different voice pitches. By the way, the voices of young men during the transitional period are broken age period directly related to elongated vocal cords and with a thickening of the Adam's apple in the larynx.

The cartilage tissue of the Adam's apple is very soft from birth. During the period of puberty of a boy, they begin to thicken. During puberty, a boy's body produces the hormone testosterone. Under its influence, the entire young, developing organism enters a new stage of existence, where all glands and secretions of tissues and organs are actively working.

The compacted “Adam's apple” in the larynx becomes akin to bone, sometimes reaching large sizes. Protruding cartilage on the neck is not aesthetically pleasing to everyone. Many guys have a complex about their large Adam's apple, which is why they want to surgically reduce it. Such operations are called chondrolorhinoplasty. Although Adam's apples are very difficult to change. Some males complain that a large Adam's apple causes them an uncomfortable sore throat.

Why does your Adam's apple hurt?

Can your Adam's apple hurt? Alas, yes. Moreover, the reasons are varied, and they should be voiced.

If your Adam's apple hurts, then you should not put off going to the doctor under any circumstances, because the causes of the pain can be serious and have consequences. If you have such symptoms, you should first consult an ENT doctor and an endocrinologist.

Adam's apple and male sexuality

WITH large sizes The Adam's apple is often compared to male libido. Some women measure a man's sexuality by the size of his Adam's apple: if a man has a large Adam's apple, it means he's good in bed. It is worth refuting such a popular hypothesis.

The size of the Adam's apple does not depend on hormonal levels testosterone in the blood of representatives of the stronger sex. Why some men have a large Adam’s apple, while others barely protrude, depends only on physiology and anatomical structure body, transmitted to each owner of the “Adam’s apple” genetically. And evaluate the chosen ones, how passionate he will be in intimate relationships, it is necessary not at all by the size of the Adam's apple, nose and palms, but by the level of testosterone. And it depends on the man’s lifestyle, his age, state of mind and physical health.