By the sounds of it, one could assume this is an instrument of some sort and it indeed involves high and low notes. It can also be tuned if you’re prepared to practise. But there is far more to your vocal cords than you might think.

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What is it?
Your voice box, which is situated inside the larynx, comprises of two pieces of wishbone-shaped cartilage that are about an inch long. Inside the voice box are the vocal cords, which work on more or less on the same principle as a musical instrument. The vocal cords are strong and elastic, and vibrate when air rushes past them, in turn giving you your unique voice.

The vocal cords are made up of mucous membrane folds, surrounded by cartilage. Situated across the larynx, they control the flow of air from the lungs during speech. Your voice box is actually made up of a few folds, namely the vocal fold, ventricular fold, the aryepiglottic fold, and the median glosso-epiglottic fold, and the space between the folds is known as the glottis.

How does it all come out?
So, what makes your voice and wording come out the way it is supposed to? Apart from the vocal cords, the tongue (for pronunciation), trachea or windpipe, and the oesophagus all help with airflow. Without them, your vocal cords would not be of much use, as they primarily deal with vibrations.

The reason why a man's voice is deeper than a woman's is because men have a larger larynx. And in turn, this makes the vocal cords bigger as well.

Can you remember the time you lost your voice from shouting and singing at the nightclub the evening before? This was either because of a dry throat, or because your vocal cords were strained. Your throat likes to be moist, so don't think you're being a freak if you sing in the shower. The hot, steamy air is actually quite soothing for your vocal cords.

Out of tune?
Problems with your vocal cords can be the result of a few things such as flu, colds, smoking, and even alcohol. A swollen larynx, better known as laryngitis, could lead to a twisted voice, or no voice at all. Other conditions such as polyps or nodules can form on the vocal cords. They can be the result of smoking or straining one's voice too, but they can be treated and removed if necessary. So if you can, quit the puffing.

Interesting facts

• The sound of your voice is hereditary
• When we speak, we hear our own voice through our bones, while others hear it through air. That is why our voice sounds different to us than it does to other people
• The shape of your nose, mouth and throat also contribute to the sound of your unique voice
• The pitch of your voice is determined by the resonance frequency of the folds. The length and thickness of your cords also control some of the pitch. In an adult male, this frequency averages about 125 Hz and in children, approximately 300 Hz

(Matthew Louw, Health24)

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