The Adam’s apple is the notch at the top of the thyroid cartilage – one of nine cartilages that form the protective skeleton around the voice box (larynx).
Men and women both have Adam’s apples, but they tend to be larger and more visible in men because their thyroid cartilage grows more during puberty, enlarging the larynx and deepening the voice. The Adam’s apple itself serves no particular purpose and can be reduced in size without changing the nature of the voice (in gender reassignment surgery, for example).
Read more:
- Why do we lose the sound of our voice when we whisper?
- What gives people a lovely singing voice?
- How many organs in the body could you live without?
- What’s the difference between men and women?