The =cavity= of the larynx (Cavum laryngis) is smaller than one would
expect from its external appearance. On looking into it through the
pharyngeal end two folds are seen projecting from its lateral walls.
These are termed the =vocal cords=, and they divide the cavity into two
portions.
The =aditus laryngis=, or pharyngeal aperture, is a large, oblique, oval
opening, which faces forward and upward into the ventral part of the
pharynx. It is bounded in front by the epiglottis, behind by the
arytenoid cartilages, and laterally by the aryteno-epiglottic folds of
mucous membrane (Plicæ aryepiglotticæ), which stretch between the edges
of the epiglottis and the arytenoid cartilages.
[Illustration: