The cow larynx is an elongated musculo-cartilaginous compartment of the cow’s respiratory system. It is considered the gatekeeper to the entrance of the cow’s trachea.
In this guide, I will describe the anatomy of the cow’s larynx with hand-drawn diagrams and real pictures.
Quick answer: The cow larynx is made up of cartilages, ligaments, muscles, and membranes, and houses the vocal cords, which are responsible for phonation.
Thus, I will focus on the description of various cartilages, ligaments, and muscles of the cow’s larynx with diagrams. I will also show the laryngeal cavity and vocal cords in various animals.
Where is the larynx located in a cow?
Figure 1 presents a hand-drawn presentation of the cow’s larynx, which is situated between the pharynx and trachea. However, the larynx lies partly between the rami of the cow’s mandible and caudally extends into the neck.
Externally, it attaches to the body and thyroid cornu of the cow’s hyoid bone. Thus, indirectly, the cow’s larynx attaches to the base of the cranium or skull.
Again, the long axis of the cow’s larynx is particularly horizontal when the head and neck are extended.
Topographic relation of the larynx
Figure 2 shows the topographic relationship of the cow’s larynx with various organs or structures.
So, according to this figure, the cow’s larynx has the following relationships –
- Dorsal: It is dorsally related to the pharynx and the origin of the esophagus.
- Ventral: It is ventrally related to the skin, fascia, sternothyrohyoideus, and omohyoideus muscles of the neck.
- Lateral: However, the cow’s larynx is laterally related to the parotid and mandibular salivary glands, internal pterygoideus, digastricus, and stylohyoideus muscles.
Why is the cow’s larynx important?
The cow’s larynx is important as it guards the entrance to the lower respiratory passage. However, this structure also supports breathing, sound production, and protection of the trachea.
Again, the cow’s larynx houses the vocal cords that are responsible for phonation. Here, the vocal folds are located just below where the pharynx divides into the trachea and esophagus.
Cow larynx anatomy
Figure 3 presents an overview of the anatomical features of the cow’s larynx. It also shows that the cow’s larynx consists of cartilages, ligaments, muscles, and mucous membrane.
Thus, you need to describe the following for a complete description of the cow’s larynx anatomy –
- Cartilages: Four cartilages form the external skeleton of the cow’s larynx. However, they prevent collapse and are classified as paired or unpaired.
- Ligaments: The laryngeal cartilages are fastened together by various ligaments and muscles. Thus, various articulations like cricothyroid, cricoarytenoid, and thyrohyoid are formed by the cartilages and ligaments.
- Muscles: They include the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles that act over the laryngeal cartilages and their joints.
- Mucous membrane: It helps the larynx provide the proper environment for the passage of air through the laryngeal tube.
Here, the extrinsic muscles of the cow’s larynx assist the larynx to move rostrally or caudally. However, the intrinsic muscles help in narrowing or widening the rima glottis of the cow’s larynx.
Now, I will describe the cartilages of the cow’s larynx with the hand-drawn diagrams.
Cartilages of the cow’s larynx
Figure 4 shows the hand-drawn presentation of the 4 different cartilages of the cow’s larynx. Here, three of these cartilages are single (unpaired), while one is paired (Thomas and Joshep, 1867)
Here, the unpaired or single cartilages of the cow’s larynx are –
- Thyroid cartilage: It is the largest and resembles a taco shell.
- Cricoid cartilage: It is a signet ring-shaped structure.
- Epiglottic cartilage or epiglottis: This is a leaf- or plate-like cartilage of the larynx.
However, the paired cartilage of the cow’s larynx is –
- Arytenoid cartilages: They are the irregular-shaped paired cartilages of the larynx.
Thyroid cartilage of the larynx
Figure 5 highlights a shield-shaped or a taco shell-shaped cartilage from the cattle or cow’s larynx. It is the largest of the four laryngeal cartilages and is called the thyroid cartilage.
Structure: The thyroid cartilage of the cow’s larynx consists of a central body and two lateral parts of the laminae.
Body: Here, the dorsal surface of the body attaches to the base of the epiglottis by the thyro-epiglottic ligament. However, the ventral surface of the body presents a swollen area known as the laryngeal prominence (Figure 5).
Laminae: The laminae form the two lateral sides of the larynx and enclose the laryngeal cavity. However, each lamina has a rostral and a caudal cornu.
Here, the rostral cornu articulates with the thyroid cornu of the thyrohyoid bone. Again, the caudal cornu articulates with the facet on the posterior part of the lamina of the cow’s cricoid cartilage.
The rostral cornu of the thyroid cartilage presents a thyroid foramen on its upper border. Through this foramen, the cow’s cranial laryngeal nerve passes.
Cricoid cartilage of the cattle’s larynx
Figure 6 presents a signet ring-shaped structure on the larynx, which is termed the cricoid cartilage. It is the most caudal cartilage among the four cartilages of the cow’s larynx.
Location: The cricoid cartilage is located just rostral to the first tracheal ring and caudal to all other laryngeal cartilages.
Structure: It has a broad, thick dorsal quadrilateral lamina and a narrow lateral part, or arch.
Lamina: The lamina of the cricoid cartilage presents 2 surfaces (dorsal and internal).
Here, the dorsal surface of the lamina possesses a median ridge. On each side of the ridge, it contains two facets: rostral and caudal.
Here, the rostral facet articulates with the arytenoid cartilage of the corresponding aspect. However, the caudal facet articulates with the caudal cornu of the thyroid cartilage.
Arch: The ventral and lateral part of the cricoid cartilage is formed by a curved band. It is the arch of the cricoid cartilage and is narrowest below.
Here, the arch possesses 2 surfaces (lateral and internal), and 2 borders (rostral and caudal).
The rostral border of the arch provides attachment to the crico-thyroid membrane. However, the caudal border attaches to the crico-tracheal membrane.
Again, the lateral surface of the arch has the groove for the crico-thyroid muscle. Both the internal surface of the lamina and arch are lined with the mucous membrane.
Epiglottic cartilage or epiglottis of the cow’s larynx
The cow larynx presents a leaf-shaped cartilage that is placed above the body of the thyroid cartilage. It is the epiglottic cartilage, or epiglottis, of the cow’s larynx.
Here, Figure 7 highlights the features of the cow’s epiglottis. Here, the epiglottis has two surfaces (lingual and laryngeal), a base, and an apex.
- Lingual surface: It is convexo-concave and connects to the root of the cow’s tongue by a glossoepiglottic fold (Figure 7).
- Pharyngeal surface: This surface is smooth and concave in the cow’s epiglottis.
- Base: Here, the base attaches to the cranial part of the dorsal surface of the thyroid cartilage by a ligament.
- Apex: It is free and curved forward and downward.
The mucous membrane covers both the lingual and pharyngeal surfaces of the cow’s epiglottis. This cartilage overhangs the aditus laryngis, which it closes during deglutition.
Arytenoid cartilages of the larynx
Arytenoids are the only paired cartilages in the cow’s larynx, as highlighted in Figure 8.
Location: They are located in front of the cow’s cricoid, partly medial and dorsal to the lamina of the thyroid cartilage.
Form and structures: The arytenoid cartilages are pyramidal in form and have 3 surfaces, 2 borders, a base, and an apex.
Here, the surfaces of the arytenoid cartilages are dorsal, lateral, and medial. However, the borders of the cartilages are dorsal and caudal.
Here, the base of the arytenoid cartilage is conacve and presents a facet for the cricoid laterally. However, the apex is free and curved backward and upward. This curved portion of the arytenoid cartilage is also known as the muscular process.
A transverse arytenoid ligament connects the internal angle of the right and left arytenoid cartilages. However, the lateral angle of the base of the arytenoid extends into a slender, long vocal process.
Articulations and ligaments of the larynx
Figure 9 shows the hand-drawn presentation of the articulations and ligaments of the cow’s larynx. It highlights 3 major articulations and various laryngeal ligaments.
Articulations of the larynx
Cricothyroid articulation: It is formed between the caudal cornu of the thyroid cartilage and the caudal facet on the lamina of the cricoid cartilage. However, this is a fibrous joint and allows rotation of the thyroid cartilage around the horizontal axis of the joint.
Cricoarytenoid articulation: It is formed between the rostral facet of the lamina of the cricoid and the lateral facet of the arytenoid cartilage. This synovial joint allows gliding and rotation between the two segments.
Thyrohyoid articulation: It is formed between the thyrohyoid bone and the thyroid cornu of the thyroid cartilage. However, it is a fibrous joint, and movement is restricted to a slight rotation of the thyroid cartilage around a horizontal axis.
Ligaments of the cattle’s larynx
As shown in the previous figure, various ligaments extend between the cartilages at these three articulations. Here, these ligaments are the fibroelastic band and include the following –
- Circothyroid ligament,
- Cricoarytenoid ligament,
- Transverse arytenoid ligament,
- Thyroepiglottic ligament,
- Hyoepiglottic ligament,
- Vestibular ligament, and
- Vocal ligament,
Here, the vocal ligament is most prominent in the articulation of the cow’s larynx.
What is the vocal ligament in a cow’s larynx?
The vocal ligament is a very strong elastic ligament in the cow’s larynx (Figure 10). It extends from the vocal process of the arytenoid to the dorsal body of the thyroid near its caudal border.
Here, two vocal ligaments ventrally attach closely to each other in the thyroid cartilage.
Muscles and mucous membrane of the larynx
Muscles: Different groups of extrinsic and intrinsic muscles help to perform functions of the cow’s larynx. Figure 11 presents various types of extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the larynx.
Here, the extrinsic muscles of the cow’s larynx are –
- Sternothyrohyoideus muscle
- Thyrohyoideus muscle, and
- Hyoepiglottideus muscle,
Again, the intrinsic muscles (4 pairs) of the cattle or cow’s larynx are –
- Crico-thyroideus muscle,
- Crico-arytenoideus posticus muscle,
- Crico-arytenoideus lateralis, and
- Thyro-arytenoideus muscle,
However, there is a single arytenoideus muscle that is placed across the dorsal surface of the arytenoid cartilage. Here, Table 1 shows the origin and insertion of the major intrinsic and extrinsic muscles of the cow’s larynx –
| Muscles | Origin of the muscle | Insertion of the muscle |
| Thyrohyoideus | Hyroid cornu of the hyoid bone | Lamina of the thyroid cartilage |
| Hyoepiglottideus | Body of the hyoid bone | Base of the epiglottis |
| Crico-thyroideus | Lateral and posterior edges of the cricoid cartilage | Posterior border of the thyroid lamina |
| Crico-arytenoideus posticu | Lamina of the cricoid cartilage | Muscular process of the arytenoid cartilage |
| Crico-arytenoideus lateralis | Anterior border of the arch of the cricoid cartilage | Muscular process of the arytenoid cartilage |
| Thyro-arytenoideus | Ventral border of the thyroid lamina | Arytenoid cartilage |
Mucous membrane: It continues rostrally with the pharynx at the aditus laryngis and caudally with the trachea. However, it closely attaches to the laryngeal surface of the epiglottis and vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage.
What is the laryngeal cavity in a cow?
Figure 12 shows the hand-drawn diagram of the laryngeal cavity of a cow’s larynx. It is a space that extends from the entrance of the larynx to the caudal border of the cricoid cartilage.
Here, the entrance of the cow’s larynx is known as the aditus laryngis. However, it is bounded ventrally by the epiglottis, laterally by the lateral folds, and dorso-caudally by the arytenoid cartilage.
For description, the laryngeal cavity divides into three parts/compartments –
- Vestibule: It is the rostral compartment that extends from the aditus laryngis to the vocal cord.
- Glottis: It is the narrow part between the cow’s vocal cord and the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage.
- Caudal compartment: The part of the laryngeal cavity behind the glottis and the trachea is the caudal compartment.
FAQ’s on the cow’s larynx
The vocal cords in animals are a band of yellow elastic tissue located behind the lateral ventricle of the larynx. Here, the lateral ventricle is a shallow depression just below the epiglottic fold of the larynx (Figure 13).
However, the vocal cords extend from the junction of the body and lamina of the thyroid cartilage to the vocal process.
In the cow, the vocal cords are short and project little into the laryngeal cavity from its wall. Thus, the glottis is wide in the cow’s larynx.
The horse has 3 unpaired and 3 paired cartilages in its larynx, whereas the cow has fewer. That means the horse has one additional paired cartilage: the cuneiform cartilages (Figure 14).
However, the horse’s cricoid cartilage is clearly ring-shaped, unlike the cow’s cricoid. Again, the epiglottis is longer than the cow’s epiglottis.
Finally, the vocal cords are long and large, and the glottis is narrower than the cow’s.
Conclusion
The cow larynx is a short, tube-like structure located between the pharynx and trachea. It consists of paired and unpaired cartilages, muscles, ligaments, and mucous membrane.
However, the larynx connects to the pharynx at the level of the division of the pharynx into the nasopharynx and oropharynx. Rostrally, it opens into the pharynx and caudally into the trachea.
References
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