The laryngeal prominence—commonly known as the Adam's apple—is a feature of the human neck. This lump, or protrusion, is formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx. The term Adam's apple is derived from Adam having eaten the forbidden apple in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve.
The laryngeal prominence is usually more prominent in adult men than in women or prepubescent girls or boys. Note that the growth of the larynx itself during puberty is responsible for the vocal instability in teenage boys. The laryngeal prominence is merely the protrusion one sees of the thyroid cartilage making up the body of the larynx. The laryngeal prominence is usually more prominent in adult males because the thyroid cartilage elongates during puberty, protruding out the front of the neck more noticeably. The result is that the two laminae (thin cartilage) of the thyroid cartilage that form the protrusion meet at an angle of 90° in males, and 120° in females, so there is less cartilage protruding out in females.
Cosmetic surgery to reduce the size of a laryngeal prominence is called chondrolaryngoplasty (thyroid chondroplasty).[1] This surgery may change the patient's voice and cause permanent damage as well as leave a visible scar. This surgery can also be part of sex reassignment therapy for male-to-female transgender or transsexual people (transwomen).[2]
^ Neumann K, Welzel C, Berghaus A (2003). "[Operative voice pitch raising in male-to-female transsexuals. A survey of our technique and results]" (in German). HNO51 (1): 30–7. doi:10.1007/s00106-002-0654-4. PMID 12557095.
