Kadik - cartilage protruding in the anterior wall of the larynx, consisting of two plates. In men, the angle between the cartilaginous plates is less, so the Adam's apple protrudes strongly, protecting the throat from injury. The size of the Adam's apple depends on the amount of the hormone testosterone in the body, so the larynx looks smoother in women and children.
What is Adam's apple?
The kadik, also called the Adam's apple, is the larynx protrusion, which is part of the thyroid cartilage on the front of the neck. It consists of two plates, between which in women and children the angle is quite large, so the protrusion of the larynx is almost invisible, and in men the angle is smaller, and the Adam's apple is strongly pronounced. The Adam's apple begins to appear on the larynx of boys from the age of fourteen, but there are examples of women who have a pronounced Adam's apple.
The name "Adam's apple" was given to this part of the larynx because of the biblical tradition that Adam ate the apple - the forbidden fruit that Eve gave him. A piece of apple got stuck in his throat, after which all men have a larynx protrusion that reminds of sin.
There is an operation to reduce the size of the Adam's apple - chondrolaryngoplasty. It is practiced by men who decide to change their sex to female.
Why do you need an Adam's apple?
In fact, the Adam's apple function is much more complex than a reminder of original sin. This cartilage on the front wall of the larynx is associated with the amount of testosterone in the human body, so it is more pronounced in men. It is believed that the size of the Adam's apple affects the timbre of the voice in men: the larger it is, the lower the voice, that is, the Adam's apple is needed only for men to speak in a man's voice. These two phenomena - a large Adam's apple and a hoarse, deep voice - do occur at the same time, but one is not a consequence of the other: it is the influence of large amounts of testosterone.
The throat is one of the most vulnerable places in the human body. The kadik, first of all, protects a person's throat from injury, while men needed such protection more, since they more often played the role of a hunter, protected the family from invasions, participated in wars and fights. The kadik closes the trachea, near which it is located, from the windpipe to the sternal joint.
For the same purpose - to protect the throat from injury - men grow a beard.
Adam's apple injury is very painful. Although the Adam's apple protects the throat, it is defenseless by itself, so it can be easily damaged. In some cases, as a result of such an injury, a person may remain dumb or even choke on blood if the wound penetrates. Chunks of cartilage can get caught in the throat and cause suffocation. In self-defense classes, women are taught to use this weak point of men and to punch or press the Adam's apple with the palm of the hand. If you need to save your life, this technique is one of the most effective. But in sports, it is prohibited, since such an injury is very dangerous for a person.
Also, the Adam's apple is needed in order to block breathing when swallowing, so that food or water gets into the esophagus, and not into the respiratory tract.
