larynx

noun

1. A hollow muscular organ of the neck of mammals situated just below where the tract of the pharynx splits into the trachea and the oesophagus. It is involved in breath control and protection of the trachea, and, as it houses the vocal cords, sound production.

   “The larynx is the instrument of the voice, of which the rima glottidis is the immediate organ. [...] The change of the voice from acute to grave at the time of puberty, when the larynx undergoes a remarkable development, as well as its acuteness in females, whose glottis is less by one third than that of man, shew that the size of the aperture has a great influence.”

   “The differences in the voices of man and woman cannot but have been always obſerved; and their larynxes exhibit, on a merely ſuperficial inſpection, a great diſproportion in ſize.”

   “I hope to be understood as not implying that there is no peculiarity of the larynges and tracheæ, except in some genera; for I believe all have the admirable mechanism of the organ of voice differently constructed, with corresponding muscles, and distribution of nerves, producing those various modulations of sound so familiar to us, and destined for the excitement of love, as well as for other purposes.”

   “The work on larynx transplantation has been discussed in the previous paragraphs. Corollary to this is the possible development of an artificial larynx which can be implanted just as an artificial heart might be implanted. Design of such larynxes might permit a quick solution to the problem of tissue rejection.”