Adam's apple sticks out strongly. Too big protrusion. Adam's apple is the thyroid gland

Why do men have an Adam's apple, but women do not. Why is it needed and what is its role in the human body?

What is an adam's apple

Why do men have an Adam's apple around their neck? A protrusion in the throat area is present in all representatives strong half humanity. In some it is less pronounced, in others it is quite big sizes.

What adam's apple? Adam's apple is a protrusion of the thyroid cartilage in the region of the larynx. Due to the peculiarities of the structure (forms an acute angle), it is not only palpable under the skin, but also significantly protrudes above its level. This cartilage is also present in women, but is less pronounced and is masked by adipose tissue.

The Adam's apple on the neck begins to appear in adolescence when the body of a young man undergoes hormonal changes. In this case, the configuration of the thyroid cartilage changes, which leads to a significant protrusion of the angle outward. The more testosterone is produced, the more noticeable the throat protrusion becomes.

Adam's apple (cartilage) plays important role in the functioning of the human body. Basic meaning:

support. Located on the thyroid cartilage endocrine glands- thyroid and parathyroid.
Structural. It combines some elements into one configuration - 2 parts of the thyroid cartilage, the epiglottis and the hyoid bone.
Voice-forming. Attached to the Adam's apple vocal cords that provide sound.
Protective. The throat protrusion is localized in front of the trachea, protecting it from damage. Under cover are the vocal cords. During a meal, the Adam's apple overlaps Airways so that food does not accidentally enter the bronchi.

Big Adam's apple together with a change in the timbre of the voice, it is a kind of sign of puberty in a man.

Why does the Adam's apple hurt?

In some cases, the protrusion on the neck can hurt. Most often, discomfort appears after an injury or other mechanical effect on the cartilage.

But this does not always happen. In certain situations, if the Adam's apple hurts, this indicates the development of a serious pathology. It is also important to take into account other concomitant symptoms, since only in the complex they have diagnostic value. The main causes of pain in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Adam's apple:

Decreased production of thyroid hormones followed by the development of hypothyroidism. Of the other signs, there are chronic fatigue, constipation and poor perception of cold and frost.
Hyperthyroidism. Develops due to increased synthesis of hormones thyroid gland. Clinical manifestations include palpitations, heavy sweating, nervousness, diarrhea.
Thyroiditis. The inflammatory process in the thyroid gland often occurs as a result of complications infectious diseases nearby organs. Most often, the development of the disease is provoked by pathologies of the upper respiratory tract. In addition to pain in the Adam's apple, patients complain of signs of malaise due to severe intoxication of the body. The endocrine gland increases in size, which means that the development of sepsis is not excluded.
Laryngitis. Pain in the Adam's apple occurs when spreading inflammatory process from the larynx to the thyroid cartilage. The manifestations of laryngitis come to the fore: strong paroxysmal cough, swelling of the mucous membrane of the throat.
Fracture of the cartilaginous larynx. The main reason - traumatic injury. The pain is localized not only in the region of the Adam's apple, but also spreads to nearby areas. Patients complain about severe discomfort when breathing, swallowing and coughing.
Cancer and tuberculosis of the larynx. The pathological process in any of these diseases is common. At malignant formation pain does not appear initial stages development, and when the tumor significantly increases in size.
Riedel's thyroiditis. As a result of a pronounced proliferation of thyroid tissue, compression occurs nerve endings and blood vessels.

If you experience pain in the region of the Adam's apple, you do not need to let everything take its course. This may be the first sign of a serious illness. Therefore, it is necessary to contact a specialist for examination and examination as soon as possible.

Oddly enough, but there are many myths and legends around this organ. The word Adam's apple has Turkic roots and in literal translation means solid. According to Christian belief, the hump on the neck of a man is of religious origin. When the first people in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, ate the Forbidden fruit in the form of an apple from the tree of Knowledge, and then the man learned about the betrayal of the woman and the deceit of the Serpent, he choked on a piece of apple. It was this piece that got stuck in his throat, and now the Adam's apple is passed down from generation to generation as a symbol of the first sin. Physiological purpose, i.e. why is it needed, Christian faith does not provide.

To understand what an Adam's apple is and what it looks like, you need to look at a man's throat. Approximately in the middle of the neck front side there is a bump. For some representatives of the strong half of humanity, the Adam's apple sticks out strongly forward, and therefore it is easy to notice it. It is a mistake to assume that the Adam's apple is part of the thyroid gland. Based on this, we can immediately conclude that no functions associated with endocrine system, the hump on the neck does not perform.

Adam's apple is part of the thyroid cartilage and is considered part of the larynx. It consists of 2 parts, plates. Its main function is to create a kind of protective shield for the thyroid gland, as well as for other organs that are in this area.

If this tubercle is strongly pronounced on the representative of the stronger sex on the neck, this indicates that the man has long vocal cords. The angle of fusion of cartilaginous plates depends on this feature of the organism.

1 more widespread, but misconception: Adam's apple is only in men. This statement is considered incorrect. The anatomical structure of a woman in this area is somewhat different, due to the length of the vocal cords. They are shorter, respectively, and the cartilage plates do not fuse under acute angle. But the purpose of the Adam's apple remains the same: it is needed in order to protect the organs of the neck from various injuries.

In addition to the obtuse angle of the fusion of the plates, the female tubercle is not noticeable due to the fact that it is additionally covered from above by the cervical sebum. You can notice a characteristic protrusion in girls with insufficient body weight.

Adam's apple is not only in humans. The thyroid cartilage is present in almost the entire animal kingdom. With the help of the Adam's apple, an elephant can emit infrasound, which is not audible. human ear, but this large mammal senses sound with its feet at a distance of 2 km. When the Adam's apple is small, such as in bats, for example, it makes it possible to emit ultrasound.

From the foregoing, it follows that the presence of this hump on the neck has great importance not only for humans, but also for representatives of the animal world.

The formation of the Adam's apple occurs in puberty under the action of sex hormones. The formation of the Adam's apple in boys may be accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the throat. It is during this period that the change of voice occurs. You need to be able to distinguish between discomfort and pain. Therefore, if during puberty a young man has pain in this area, then you should consult a doctor.

The full completion of the process of forming a protective shield occurs at about 18 years of age. The cartilages of the Adam's apple are strengthened, become hard and under the influence of testosterone can increase.

This organ takes an active part in both the female and male bodies. Why the Adam's apple is needed is not limited to the protective function of the larynx. With its help, a person can speak, as well as eat food.

During swallowing, this part of the larynx partially blocks the airways, and food does not enter them. Adam's apple - desired organ. Without it, it would be impossible to even drink water without health concerns.

When the vocal cords are stretched, in combination with the air passing through them, a sound is generated, that is, a voice. With the help of muscles, you can adjust the position of the protrusion on the throat. The ability to change the position of the Adam's apple makes it possible to control the timbre of the voice. The larynx as a whole organ can be lowered and raised, due to this the volume of the vocal path will change. And the shape of this path can be changed with the tongue and lips, and then screams, singing or curses will be heard.

The modern development of fashion, namely the unisex style, sometimes makes it difficult to determine the gender of the person standing in front of him. It is the Adam's apple that can help to understand this problem.

Removal of cartilage, i.e. correction of its shape, is dangerous operation. For this reason this procedure carried out in extremely rare situations. And even when a man wants to change his gender, he is not recommended to remove the protruding Adam's apple. Unsuccessful injury to this area can lead to damage to the vocal cords, as a result of which the voice may change or a malfunction of the speech apparatus may appear.

Despite the fact that testosterone affects the growth of the Adam's apple, there is no official confirmation that the size of the protrusion on the neck of a man has a relationship with his sexual abilities.

Organ injury

Although the Adam's apple performs protective function, in fact this body fragile enough. Pain in the Adam's apple is serious symptom, therefore, if it occurs, you should immediately seek medical help.

Injury to the Adam's apple, despite the fact that it is cartilage, is dangerous for a person, since syncope can occur. The pathological process implies loss of consciousness and even cardiac arrest is not ruled out.

With a serious injury to the Adam's apple, damage to the trachea occurs, resulting in difficulty breathing. A piece of tissue torn off the trachea can begin to work as a valve. It will cut off the oxygen supply to the lungs.

Adam's apple is a cartilage that protrudes only in men, located in front of the thyroid gland. According to a widely known belief, Adam's apple was formed when he bit off a piece of fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. A piece of the fatal apple got stuck in the throat of the seduced person, as a result of which such a noticeable protrusion formed on its front.

Anatomical features

In fact, women also have this cartilage. It's just that for ladies it is located at a more obtuse angle than for gentlemen, and therefore it is not noticeable. The boys in puberty active production of testosterone begins. This hormone affects the formation of a special form of the skeleton, developed muscles and increased "hairiness" of the strong half of humanity.

Testosterone also affects the formation of the Adam's apple. In young boys, the thyroid cartilage is not noticeable, as in girls. As it grows older, the shape of its upper part changes, which is why the Adam's apple appears. During this process, the young men experience the same breaking of the voice that gives them so much inconvenience. All these processes are controlled by testosterone.

What is it for?

The main function of the Adam's apple is to block the windpipe when a person eats. Cartilage thus protects a person from suffocation while eating. This process can be seen during swallowing: the Adam's apple rises when a person swallows a piece of food or a portion of liquid, and then falls, freeing the windpipe for inhalation. Women work the same way as men.

An auxiliary function of the Adam's apple is participation in the formation of sounds. Since the cartilage is connected to the larynx, it influences the production of high and low sounds during speech. The higher the sound made by the ligaments, the higher the Adam's apple rises, slightly clamping the lumen of the larynx. The lower the Adam's apple, the lower the sound. Thus, the second function of this organ is voice-forming. Bent at an acute angle thanks to testosterone, the cartilage forms the deep voice that men are famous for.

Instruction

According to biblical legend, the male Adam's apple is a reminder of original sin on the part of Adam. Tradition says that Adam is the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, in order to taste it. But it was not there! The apple got stuck in his throat. Here "" is a symbol of sin.

First of all, it is worth noting that both men and women have an "Adam's apple". All statements regarding the fact that there is supposedly no Adam's apple are incorrect. Their "Adam's apple" is surrounded by fat and is located in the center of the throat. That is why it is not as noticeable as.

In men, the "Adam's apple" for one single reason: the male larynx contains the longer than the female. In addition, it is sex hormones that directly affect the change in the shape of the Adam's apple, as well as the transformation of the length of the vocal cords. It is not difficult to guess that the protruding Adam's apple, in turn, affects the voice of men.

Under the influence of sex hormones, the Adam's apple increases, and their voice is noticeable. It happens at a certain youthful age. In other words, "Adam's apple" is a male secondary sexual characteristic that creates additional volume in the larynx to resonate their voice.

This leads to the appearance of low frequencies in the male voice. The youth's voice first breaks and then becomes low. However, this is not the case for all males. In some men, it becomes high or sharp. But be that as it may, a protruding Adam's apple is an integral part male body.

In continuation of the topic of secondary male sexual characteristics, it should be noted that the Adam's apple is a frank evidence of male gender. And there's no getting away from it! If we talk about transvestites and transsexuals, then it is the Adam's apple that is the visible part that betrays them. Some members of trans culture remove their Adam's apples altogether surgical methods.

Removing the "Adam's apple" is a very risky step, since you can seriously harm your health. Since the Adam's apple greatly affects the low voice, operations to remove it are resorted to, mainly by some transgender men. Similar operations are carried out in large Russian cities, as well as in a number of European countries and Thailand.

Prominent in men and completely invisible in women, the protrusion of the larynx is called in Latin prominentia laryngea, that is, Adam's apple or "Adam's apple." By physiological reasons this part of the cartilage is more noticeable in the stronger sex than in girls.

The Adam's apple is formed when two plates of the thyroid cartilage fuse together. The vocal cords are much longer than, so the angle of their connection is sharper. The protrusion of the larynx is therefore more pronounced. Although there are differences in the size of the "Adam's apple" among young people. For some, this detail of the body protrudes far forward, resembling the keel of a ship, while for others, the fusion of cartilage occurs at an obtuse angle, so such an Adam's apple is more delicate.

Another reason that explains the fact that the cartilaginous protrusion of the larynx in women is less noticeable is the presence of a fatty layer. It is present in everyone, regardless of whether they have excess weight or not.

Sometimes some women have a rather pronounced "", usually in these cases there are other secondary sexual characteristics (excessive hair, rough voice, figure structure according to male type). It's connected with hormonal disorders in the body.

Adam's apple is actively involved in the formation of a person's voice, it is a kind of resonator. The fused cartilage protects the vocal cords and controls their tension. Since the shape of the “Adam's apple” is different for men and women, the pitch and timbre of the voice also differ.

The Bible also explains the emergence of the expressed in men. It is enough to recall the story of the fall of Adam and Eve to understand where the unfortunate fruit in the throat of the first came from. The woman turned out to be more receptive to everything new, but the representative of the stronger sex could not swallow his piece, and now the "Adam's apple" reminds people of their sin.

Mammals, like humans, have. Thanks to various form this cartilaginous organ, animals make the most amazing and different sounds. For example, elephants can form infra-, and bats - ultrasounds.

Why is Adam's apple called "Adam's apple"

Adam's apple in men has another name - "Adam's apple." According to biblical legend, the first man, Adam, decided to taste the forbidden fruit and plucked it from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. But he didn't get to enjoy it. An apple stuck in his throat. So the second name of the Adam's apple appeared.

Do women have an Adam's apple?

Many have thought about this question. Everyone knows that men have an Adam's apple, but do women have it? Sometimes you can hear the opinion that only men have it, but this is erroneous. In the representatives of the stronger sex, the Adam's apple is a pronounced protrusion around the larynx, consisting of thyroid cartilage. In the female, he practically does not act, but still there. Adam's apple exists not only in all people, but also in mammals.

The protrusion in the larynx in both sexes is expressed differently. As mentioned above, the Adam's apple in men stands out most strongly. It is related to the development skeletal system. In men, the cartilages are located at an acute angle, and in women - at an obtuse angle. Therefore, the Adam's apple is more noticeable in the representatives of the stronger sex. In addition, in women, it is located in the middle of the throat and is surrounded by fat, which makes the protrusion almost invisible. Although sometimes after a sharp weight loss, he can act as clearly as in men.

Why do men need an Adam's apple: what is the use of it?

Adam's apple plays a big role in the body. It not only protects the vocal cords located in the larynx. The cartilages of the Adam's apple close the airways, which is important when eating. Thanks to them, water and food enter the esophagus, and people do not suffocate while eating.

Why do men have an Adam's apple? He takes part in the tension of the vocal cords, is responsible for the height and timbre of the voice. cartilage tissues Adam's apples are initially very soft, but thicken over time as the vocal cords lengthen. Therefore, the breaking of the voice in young men during the transitional period is associated with the thickening of the Adam's apple.

Why does he hurt?

Adam's apple in men hurts different reasons:

If pain occurs in the Adam's apple, you should immediately consult a doctor (endocrinologist or ENT specialist) in order to identify the disease in time and avoid subsequent complications.

Adam's apple sizes

There is an erroneous opinion that the size of the Adam's apple can determine the size of the penis or male sexuality. The size of the "Adam's apple" is not affected by testosterone hormones. Although it can be used to determine their probable amount in the body. A large Adam's apple in men means that, most likely, the percentage of testosterone is quite high, and if the "Adam's apple" is small, then low.

The size of the Adam's apple depends only on anatomical structure body that is passed down genetically as well as from physiology. The growth of cartilage "Adam's apple" occurs during puberty. Then the Adam's apple in men no longer increases in size.

What is the danger of an Adam's apple injury

Injury to the Adam's apple is very life-threatening. There are many nerve endings in the area of cartilage. A person can not only lose consciousness. Food and water can enter the airways instead of the esophagus. As a result, the person will suffocate.

There are frequent cases when, with an injury to the Adam's apple, the heart stops. This is due to a reflex called syncope. With Adam's apple bruises, the effect of closing the valve can occur when air stops flowing into the lungs.

There is an expression "bosom friend". Sometimes its meaning is taken as "old and devoted". In fact, the exact translation of the expression means "drinking buddy", as it comes from the phrase "lay for the Adam's apple."

Adam's apple in men can be pulled back. If you make the lowest sound, and at the same time observe the "Adam's apple" in the mirror, you can see that the cartilage descends lower in the larynx. Animals often use this technique to attract the attention of females. For example, during the rut, the red deer can make such low sounds that its Adam's apple goes down to the very sternum.

But the cartilage in the larynx is not pulled back in all animals. Some of them do not fall, but there is a greatly enlarged resonator at the top of the Adam's apple. Very small allows it to emit ultrasound, which bats use for echolocation. And the largest Adam's apple, occupying the whole chest, pushing back the heart and lungs, is present in the hammerhead. This is the only bat with a bass voice.

In conclusion, we recall that the Adam's apple is important part human body. And in case of injury, you should immediately consult a doctor. Also, there is no need to delay visiting the clinic and in cases where a person experiences pain and discomfort in the region of the Adam's apple. This will save a person from possible throat diseases or various unpleasant complications in future.