# Talk:Epiglottis

Can anyone provide a video graphic of the movement of the larynx during epiglottic closure?

Is the cartilage elastic or fibrocartilage? Madskile 20:26, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

There is a well documented movement of the epiglottis during healthy (non dysphagic) swallowing. This motion is one of a number of mechanism to prevent aspiration of food, but cannot be discounted as a "protective" function. Furthermore, there is some disagreement about the relative contributions of passive motion via ligamentation versus active muscular tensioning; but in any event, the epiglottis certinaly "has a function".
I am removing the statement added by 152.23.35.254 asserting that "There is no real function of the epiglottis." And restoring the prior content while I'm at it.
Refs: http://www.innerbody.com/image_digeov/dige02-new2.html, http://www.springerlink.com/content/w406m57841x11w73/, http://lib.bioinfo.pl/meid:119714.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.214.141.25 (talk) 15:42, 4 October 2008 (UTC) 

In creating the anatomy infobox, I read that the embryological precursor of the epiglottis is debated.  The sources agree that the majority of the epiglottis arises from the hypobranchial eminence, but they debate the other contributions.  I would appreciate if someone with more expertise can elaborate on the embryological precursor or confirm that this is the most encyclopedic information.  Adamlankford (talk) 23:44, 1 June 2010 (UTC)

I'm not an embryologist, but this source is cited on other wikipedia pages, it states the epiglottis derives from arch 4 (whereas the posterior portion of the tongue derives from arch 3). The [EHDAAA2 ontology] has the epiglottis mesenchyme and epithelium developing from the 4th arch Cmungall (talk) 18:46, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

Is there a reason that the introduction mentions the uvula to be incorrectly called tonsils? It seems out of context.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 147.251.209.229 (talk) 09:43, 22 April 2011 (UTC) 

Currently, the article only describes the epiglottis of humans. However, the epiglottis in humans is unusually long compared to that of other mammals, supposedly to help us be able to speak. I know that dogs can drink and breathe at the same time, so their epiglottis(i?) must be different somehow. I think it should appear somewhere in this article if anyone knows more about this. Sesamehoneytart 18:46, 16 April 2012 (UTC)

Besides mammals, we could also use something about the epiglottis in birds, reptiles, amphibians, and dipnoi (lungfish), as well as air-breathing ray-finned fishes such as Polypterus and Protopterus. While lungs were present in the most recent common ancestor of bony fishes (~420 mya) the early versions were just outpouchings of the esophagus. The epiglottis in lungfish seems to be homologous with the tetrapod version, in ray-finned fish it looks like their epiglottis may be homologous with the larynx, in which case it could be an independent development. Zyxwv99 (talk) 18:27, 15 July 2015 (UTC)

Has the author never been exposed to the delightful variety of nature? While "a leaf" could be correct in some specific sense, without definition or description this statement is useless.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.196.26.24 (talk) 00:11, 21 February 2016 (UTC) 

Here it is: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17823468
I have never used Wikipedia to edit before and I apologise if this is out of place. If somebody more well informed on how to use this site could take this and edit the page as/if necessary it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2A02:C7D:8B2:E300:2816:7934:C71:80FB (talk) 17:19, 16 April 2018 (UTC)