Editing Vocal cords (section)

==Structure==

=== Location ===
The vocal folds are located within the larynx at the top of the [[trachea]]. They are attached at the back to the [[arytenoid cartilage]]s, and at the front to the [[thyroid cartilage]] via Broyles ligament. They are part of the [[glottis]]. Their outer edges are attached to muscle in the larynx while their inner edges form an opening called the [[rima glottidis]]. They are constructed from [[epithelium]], but they have a few muscle-fibres in them, namely the [[vocalis muscle]] which tightens the front part of the [[ligament]] near to the thyroid cartilage. They are flat triangular bands and are pearly white in color. Above both sides of the [[glottis]] are the two [[vestibular fold]]s or false vocal folds which have a small sac between them.

===False vocal folds===
{{Main|Vestibular fold}}

The vocal folds are sometimes called 'true vocal folds' to distinguish them from the 'false vocal folds' known as [[vestibular fold]]s or ''ventricular folds''. These are a pair of thick folds of mucous membrane that protect and sit slightly higher to the more delicate true folds.  They have a minimal role in normal [[phonation]], but are often used to produce deep sonorous tones in [[Tibetan Chant#Chanting|Tibetan chant]] and [[Tuvan throat singing]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Fuks|first=Leonardo|title=From Air to Music: Acoustical, Physiological and Perceptual Aspects of Reed Wind Instrument Playing and Vocal-Ventricular Fold Phonation|url=http://www.speech.kth.se/music/publications/leofuks/thesis/contents.html|access-date=2010-01-05|year=1998|location=Stockholm, Sweden|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227110448/http://www.speech.kth.se/music/publications/leofuks/thesis/contents.html|archive-date=2009-12-27}}</ref> as well as in musical [[screaming (music)|screaming]] and the [[death growl]] vocal style.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Cameron |date=2022-02-09 |title=Screaming Anatomy 101 |url=https://jacobburtonstudios.com/singing-technique/screaming-anatomy-101/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=Jacob Burton Studios |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Microanatomy===
{{main|Histology of the vocal cords}}
The vocal cords are composed of twin infoldings of 3 distinct tissues: an outer layer of flat cells that do not produce [[keratin]] ([[squamous epithelium]]). Below this is the superficial layer of the [[lamina propria]], a gel-like layer, which allows the vocal fold to vibrate and produce sound. The [[vocalis]] and [[thyroarytenoid muscle]]s make up the deepest portion. These vocal folds are covered with a [[mucous membrane]] and are stretched horizontally, from back to front, across the [[larynx]].

===Variation===
Males and females have different vocal fold sizes. Adult male [[human voice|voices]] are usually lower-pitched due to longer and thicker folds. The male's vocal folds are between 1.75&nbsp;cm and 2.5&nbsp;cm (approx 0.75" to 1.0") in length,<ref name="Titze, I.R. 1994">{{cite book|last=Titze|first=Ingo R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=m48JAQAAMAAJ|title=Principles of Voice Production|publisher=Prentice Hall|year=1994|isbn=978-0-13-717893-3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170905125102/https://books.google.com/books?id=m48JAQAAMAAJ|archive-date=2017-09-05|url-status=live}}</ref> while females' vocal folds are between 1.25&nbsp;cm and 1.75&nbsp;cm (approx 0.5" to 0.75") in length. The vocal folds of children are much shorter than those of adult males and females. The difference in vocal fold length and thickness between males and females causes a difference in vocal pitch. Additionally, genetic factors cause variations between members of the same sex, with males' and females' voices being categorized into [[voice types]].