Cartilago corniculata

The Cartilago corniculata is a cartilage of the human system. It is located in the throat and is assigned to the larynx. It is a small piece of cartilage that supports the functioning of the larynx.

What is the cartilago corniculata?

The cartilago corniculata is a small cartilage in the human organism. It is also called by medical professionals Apical cartilage, Croissant cartilage or Santorini cartilage designated. The larynx is located in the neck and is formed by a mobile, but also fragile cartilage structure.

The cartilago corniculata forms part of this. It is located in the mucous membrane and rests on a layer of the larynx framework. The larynx is responsible for human language formation. It also protects the windpipe when swallowing. The cartilago corniculata is located in a fold of the mucous membrane in the lower pharynx and the border with the larynx. It thus forms the transition from the throat to the larynx.

Without it, the functionality of the larynx is limited. This is mobile in order to transport the ingested food or drink down to the stomach. In addition, the cartilages move in phonotonia. The singing and the formation of sounds pass through various areas from the glottis to the lips until certain tones are correctly generated. The cartilago corniculata supports the surrounding cartilage layers.

Anatomy & structure

The cartilago corniculata consists entirely of cartilage. This makes it more unstable than bone and more prone to damage. Human cartilage is made up of chondrocytes and an extracellular substance.

These are special cells of the connective tissue that are harder than normal connective tissue, but still do not have the stability of a bone. The larynx, the larynx, consists of four layers of cartilage. These are the Cartilago cricoidea, the Cartilago thyroidea, the Cartilago epiglottica and the Cartilagines arytaenoideae. These are the ring cartilage, the thyroid cartilage, the epiglottis and the adjusting cartilage. There are also three smaller cartilages in pairs. These are the Cartilagines cuneiformes, the Cartilagines corniculatae and the Cartilagines triticeae. These are the wedge cartilage, the croissant cartilage and the wheat cartilage.

They support the cartilage layers but have no shaping function. The cartilago corniculata rests on the cartilage. It is located in the plica aryepiglottica. This is a fold of the mucous membrane. It is located in the pharynx and separates it from the larynx. The cartilago corniculata thus forms the transition from the lower pharynx to the larynx.

Function & tasks

The main task of the cartilago corniculata is to support the function of the larynx. Since this is formed by a movable cartilage framework, different cartilages work in concert with one another. The cartilago corniculata rests on the adjusting cartilage. This means that it is between a layer of kneading and the epiglottis. This forms a seal to the entrance to the larynx.

During the act of swallowing, the epiglottis is set in motion by the muscles of the tongue and the larynx. The epiglottis serves essentially to protect the windpipe during the act of swallowing. The ingested food and drink as well as saliva can reach the stomach unhindered through the epiglottis. The back of the tongue is firmly connected to the larynx via the base of the tongue. This serves the act of swallowing, which is divided into voluntary control and a reflex movement. As soon as the swallowing reflex is initiated, the larynx and the corresponding muscles in the throat and throat work in an automatic coordination with one another.

The cartilago corniculata belongs to this system. In addition, the firm connection between the base of the tongue and the larynx is helpful for regulating speech. In particular, the sound formation of the throat tones is carried out using this finely tuned mechanism. The sounds "k", "g", "ch" and "r" belong to the racht tones. This region of the body plays an important role, especially for singers of classical music. Even if the cartilago corniculata only has a secondary function, it is still important in the overall process of sound formation.

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Diseases

Laryngitis is one of the most common diseases of the larynx. This can be differentiated into acute or chronic inflammation of the larynx mucosa.

Since the larynx is the sound generator, speech and singing can be incomplete or not at all in the case of inflammation. Hoarseness, severe coughing, sore throat, and difficulty breathing are other symptoms of laryngitis. A viral infection of the upper respiratory tract can spread to the nose and throat. In addition, there is a risk that it will continue from there down to the larynx. Sick people often also suffer from sore throat, pharyngitis or laryngopharyngitis. Laryngitis is associated with severe swelling of the larynx and the subglottis and can lead to dangerous coughing fits and air problems in children.

There is also the possibility of an inflammation of the windpipe, the tracheitis. Chronic laryngitis is usually triggered by toxins in the environment. These can be environmental influences such as toxic dyes, nicotine consumption or alcohol consumption. They also lead to hoarseness and attack the mucous membranes in the throat and throat. As soon as the hoarseness persists for several weeks, sufferers should see a doctor. Since larynx cancer has comparable symptoms, tumor formation is also possible. This is usually malignant and difficult to treat. In addition to the hoarseness, the voice changes over a longer period of time. At an advanced stage, breathing difficulties can occur which result in an artificial breathing opening.