Why do men have Adam’s apples?
An Adam's apple is a permanent lump in the throat that contains a crucial organ
Some people have noticeable bumps sticking out from the front of their throats, usually men. While everybody has one, not all can be seen. Besides dancing along the neck as you speak, what is the point of this feature?
The Adam’s apple, named because it looks like a piece of food stuck in the throat, starts to emerge during puberty. The lump in the neck that develops is cartilage under the skin, responsible for protecting our voice box, known as the larynx. The bigger the voice box is, the larger the protective covering needs to be.
Because an Adam’s apple encases the vocal cords, it can be seen moving up and down in time with speech. When it lifts in the neck, this is a sign that the cartilage is closing the throat. These movements can also be observed when swallowing, or even as a tell-tale sign of feeling nervous.
Read more: How do humans speak?
Adam's Apple anatomy: What's behind these bumps?
1. Hyoid bone
This bone is attached to the Adam’s apple cartilage, keeping it supported and in place.
2. Thyrohyoid ligament
Stretching from the hyoid bone to the Adam’s apple, this ligament keeps the cartilage in place. It has slight elasticity to enable movement.
3. Laryngeal prominence
This v-shape marks the point where the two halves of the thyroid cartilage come together. Connecting from different angles, the cartilage sticks out in the middle, creating the main lump in the neck.
4. Thyroid cartilage
As the largest cartilage making up the voice box area, this outer layer protects the vocal cords. The thyroid cartilage creates the visible protrusion we can see beneath the neck’s skin and is referred to as an Adam’s apple.
5. Cricoid cartilage
This ring is connected to the Adam’s apple cartilage by a ligament. Its role is to aid ligaments and muscles working to produce speech.
6. Thyroid gland
This butterfly-shaped hormone gland is located below the Adam’s apple and is responsible for the metabolism and development of the body. While those with larger Adam’s apples have more cartilage, this doesn’t impact the thyroid’s location or role at the base of the neck.
7. Trachea
The cartilage of the Adam’s apple forms a ring around the trachea. As the entry to the lungs, the trachea relies on this mass of cartilage to prevent unwanted material from entering.
Read more: The anatomy of facial expressions
Can women have Adam's apples?
A common misconception is that only men have Adam’s apples, but they are actually a part of every person’s anatomy. This being said, in most instances it is a more prominent feature in men. The reason is to do with the voice of the person.
Grown men have often developed deeper voices, which are a product of larger voice boxes. Due to their larynx’s larger size, the Adam’s apple covering it sticks out further. It is important to realise it is normal for men and women’s voice boxes to vary. Many women have pronounced Adam’s apples and many men have them hidden away.
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