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epiglottis

(eh-pih-GLAH-tis)
The flap that covers the trachea during swallowing so that food does not enter the lungs.
Anatomy of the larynx; drawing shows the epiglottis, supraglottis, glottis, subglottis, and vocal cords. Also shown are the tongue, trachea, and esophagus.Enlarge this image in new window
Anatomy of the larynx. The three parts of the larynx are the supraglottis (including the epiglottis), the glottis (including the vocal cords), and the subglottis.
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