Development of vocal folds from infancy to Puberty
The larynx and all parts of the vocal tract are changing throughout life and the voice reflects these changes. Some vocal features are the result of gross alterations such as the size of the vocal folds and the dimensions of the vocal tract structure, but there are the result of more subtle changes, such as the changing histology of the vocal folds and the timing of the neuronal impulses that initiate and regulate phonation. The structure and the controlling mechanism of the phonation are in a process of maturation for the first 20 years of life. From embryological stage to old age, maturation and subsequent decline of the anatomy, physiology and histology of the vocal tract and its related systems results in acoustic changes in the voice. Throughout the lifespan the voice is affected by a number of internal and external factors which are tabulated as follows. Factors affecting the voice from infancy to senescence · Growth,...