Abstract
In an investigation of the functional anatomy of the posterior glottis, three sets of studies were conducted: (1) observation and photography of excised human larynxes, (2) histological study of excised human larynxes, and (3) fiberscopic observation in living human beings. 1. There is no anatomical terminology for the structures surrounding the posterior glottis. They can be divided into three parts. We propose to call them the posterior wall of the glottis, the lateral wall of the posterior glottis and the cartilagenous portion of the vocal fold. 2. During vocal fold adduction, the larynx closes posteriorly at the supraglottis but not at the glottis, causing a conic space in the posterior glottis. 3. The area of the posterior glottis accounts for more than half of the entire glottal area. 4. The mucosa of the posterior glottis is lined with pseudostratified ciliated epithelium that is a respiratory epithelium. 5. The posterior glottis can be regarded as a respiratory glottis.
