Is the Adam's apple only for men?

The Adam's apple is made up of 11 cartilages, the most important and largest of which is the thyroid cartilage. In fact, we all have Adam's apples, regardless of gender. The laryngeal cartilage begins to develop when the fetus is 2 months old, and it grows every year until 5-6 years after birth. However, from the age of 5-6 to puberty, the growth of the laryngeal cartilage basically stops. Therefore, the thyroid cartilage is the same size for both boys and girls.

However, after entering puberty, due to changes in the body's endocrine system, male testosterone secretion increases, and secondary sexual characteristics gradually appear. The thyroid cartilage gradually increases in size and protrudes forward. Due to the growth of the thyroid cartilage, the laryngeal cavity also increases significantly, and the vocal cords also lengthen and widen, almost 6 times that of the newborn period. This increases the amplitude of the vocal cords and slows down the frequency, causing the boy's original crisp childish voice to become a deep and rough adult voice. Just like some musical instruments, the sound of a small diameter is sharper, and the sound of a large diameter is thicker. The principle is the same. The original "little boy" has become a sexy uncle with a magnetic voice. As women's ovaries secrete more estrogen, their secondary sexual characteristics appear and their thyroid cartilage grows, but the growth rate is slow and even, so women's Adam's apples generally do not protrude.

However, those girls who can't help but feel their Adam's apples rolling need to pay attention.

Whether the Adam's apple is prominent or not has no necessary connection with the development of the testicles and penis. Some medical books and periodicals no longer use the prominence of the Adam's apple as a criterion for judging whether the development of male secondary sexual characteristics is normal. Some anatomy books even no longer mention the anatomical term Adam's apple. Because although some men's Adam's apples are not obvious enough, they are still very "manly" and their testicles and penis are well developed. Some adult men with unclear Adam's apples are very strong track and field athletes, gymnastics athletes, etc. They have well-developed muscles and normal male sexual characteristics. Among these men with unclear Adam's apples, the vast majority can get married, have normal children, and have no other abnormal manifestations. Endocrine examinations also show no abnormalities.

Since the Adam's apple does not represent "grandpas", it is understandable that some women have slightly protruding Adam's apples.

There are three possible reasons for women to have an Adam's apple: First, endocrine insufficiency: the dominant sex hormone in women is estrogen, which also contains a very small amount of androgen. However, when the secretion of estrogen is not enough, the content of androgen increases relatively. It is also possible to have masculine characteristics such as a large Adam's apple, excessive hair, and a hoarse voice; second, genetic factors: if the father's Adam's apple is particularly large, it may be passed on to the daughter; third, thinness: if you are too thin, it will appear that there are only bones, and the Adam's apple in the throat will be particularly prominent. In addition, it is also possible that the thyroid gland of adolescent girls has a physiological enlargement. This is because the metabolism is too vigorous and the iodine supply is relatively insufficient, resulting in physiological iodine deficiency. The thyroid gland is therefore enlarged, but because the enlarged thyroid gland is just below the Adam's apple, it is mistaken for a protruding Adam's apple.

It can be seen that the Adam's apple is not a physiological sign of maleness, nor is it unique to men. Men with less prominent Adam's apples should not feel inferior and lose confidence, and girls with slightly prominent Adam's apples should not think that they are "tomboyish". Gender is a very complicated issue for men and women, and it is by no means clear-cut.