Epiglottis facts for kids
The epiglottis is a small, leaf-shaped flap inside your throat. It's like a tiny trapdoor at the top of your voice box. Its main job is to make sure food and drinks go down the right tube when you swallow.
Contents
Your Body's Clever Trapdoor: The Epiglottis
How the Epiglottis Works
When you are breathing, your epiglottis usually points upwards. This allows air to flow freely into your windpipe and down to your lungs.
But when you swallow food or drinks, something amazing happens! A bone in your neck, called the hyoid bone, pulls your voice box upwards. This movement makes the epiglottis fold down. It covers the opening of your windpipe. This way, food and liquids are directed safely into your food pipe, which leads to your stomach.
If the epiglottis doesn't close completely, food or liquid might accidentally enter your windpipe. When this happens, your body has a special protection system. It triggers a strong reflex to try and clear your windpipe.
The Gag Reflex
The gag reflex is your body's way of protecting your lungs. If something tries to go down your windpipe that shouldn't, this reflex makes you cough or gag. It's an automatic action to push the unwanted item out. This helps keep your breathing passages clear and safe.
Epiglottis and Speech Sounds
In some languages, people use their epiglottis to make special speech sounds. These are called epiglottal consonants. They are quite rare, but they show how versatile this small flap can be!
Images for kids
-
Location of the epiglottis
-
Cross-section of the larynx of a horse. The epiglottis here is shown as '2'.
.png)
See also
In Spanish: Epiglotis para niños
