The function of the larynx is divided into the following three: 1) phonation, 2) opening and closure of glottis during respiration, 3) prevention of entrance of food into respiratory tract during deglutition. In regard to the three functions of the larynx, the specificity of laryngeal muscles was studied from the standpoints of comparativee anatomy and electromyography.
1) hylogenetically speaking, the primary function of the cricothyroid is nothing but the phonation.
2) The cricothyroid is electromyographically in tonic contraction during respiration in order to help maintaining fixation both the thyroid and the cricoid cartilages and the patency of glottis.
3) Dring deglutition, however, the cricothyroid relaxes to allow the reduction of diameter of glottis, namely the muscle plays a passive role during deglutition.
4) The contraction of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle is the strongest among the intrinsic laryngeal muscles during respiration and its slight contraction is observed even during expiration apd phonation. It means that the function of the abductor is primarily a respiratory one to open the glottis and secondly the phonatory to make the vocalcord tense.
5) Among the intrinsic adductors, the function of lateral cricoarytenoid may be more dominant than the interarytenoid, because the former's electromyographical discharge is stronger than the lather's during phonation and anatomically the interarytenoid does not always lie both arytenoids, but it is divided into two muscles, for instance in the case of dogs.
From tfe facts described above, the essential function of laryngeal muscles in terms of their specificity is as follows: the external adductor or tensor is the phonatory muscle, the abductor is the respiratory muscle and the internal adductors are the phonato-preventive.
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