What is the Adam's Apple?
The adam's apple is the laryngeal prominence. Found in the neck, it is the lump surrounding the larynx.
-
Name
-
The term "adam's apple" comes from the bible, in the account of Adam partaking of the forbidden fruit from Eve.
-
Design
-
The adam's apple is made up of cartilage. This thyroid cartilage is what makes up the body of the larynx, where the two cartilages meet, angularly forming a "lump."
Gender
-
The laryngeal prominence is more visible on mature men than women or young boys and girls.
Angles
-
The two cartilages that meet for the lump (the two laminae) vary in angles. Men's cartilages meet at a 90 degree angle, while women's meet at a 120 degree angle. This is why men's are more visible than women's.
Characteristics
-
Having a large adam's apple is typically seen as a "secondary sex characteristic," a way to tell men from women.
Surgery
-
Reduction of the laryngeal prominence can be done when there is gender reassignment surgery. This reduction is called chondrolargynoplasty.
References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Jhayne
