Vocal fold development

The specialized microanatomy of the vocal folds is essential for the voice production. Intimate knowledge of vocal fold histology is fundamental for understanding voice disorders and necessary for approaching treatment. This chapter is focused on how the histologic features of human vocal folds are developed from the fetal period. The process of vocal fold development is mainly characterized by two events: The organization of fibrous proteins that leads to the formation of vocal ligament, and the appearance of macular flavae. Recent contributions to our growing understanding of these events are addressed. The factors that promote vocal fold development are also discussed and lastly a future direction of vocal fold histophysiology is suggested.