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Respiration is a complex process that requires both respiratory mechanics and ventilation/perfusion matching to move air into/out of the lungs and exchanging gases between the air and blood at the level of the alveoli, respectively. If either process is not functioning correctly, respiration may be hindered or fail entirely, ultimately exposing the patient to increased morbidity and mortality. Breathing relies on interactions from central and peripheral nervous systems, with voluntary input via the corticospinal tract and autonomic subcortical input at the level of the pons and medulla within the brainstem via the reticulospinal tract.[1] The diaphragm relies on respiratory rhythm generating neurons (stimulated by carbon dioxide) that reside within the ventral lateral medulla to send signals to the rostral/caudal premotor neurons of the nucleus ambiguous, which regulate inspiratory/expiratory signals, respectively.[2] These signals then descend through the cervical spinal cord before traversing the grey matter at C3 to C5 and synapsing directly onto motor neurons near the phrenic nucleus.[2] Phrenic afferent signals are also suspected to play a significant role in the physiological modification of diaphragmatic function through monitoring breathing mechanisms, conscious perception of breathing, level of ventilation, and sympathetic outputs.[3] Although the diaphragm and other primary and accessory muscles of respiration provide much of the force necessary to generate a functional pressure gradient, the larynx operates as the gatekeeper of the airway. Utilizing intricate movements of altering airway diameter, the larynx precisely controls pressure, resistance, and airflow for phonation, respiration, and protection of the tracheobronchial tree from aspiration and particulates. The larynx assists in the modification of normal ventilatory patterns, controlling airflow during the process of phonation. This article reviews the anatomy of the larynx and cricoarytenoid muscles with the goal of understanding the role of these structures on three primary functions: phonation, respiration, and protection of the airway.