Cricothyroid Muscle

**Semantic type:** Anatomical Structure

**Definition:** A muscle originating from the cricoid arch on the anterior surface in which the posterior section runs outward to the thyroid's inferior horn and the anterior section runs upward to the thyroid's ala. The cricothyroid muscle is innervated by the superior laryngeal nerve's external branch and acts to tense the vocal cords thus altering voice pitch.