Children can notice that someone has an Adam’s apple – or as they go through puberty they might wonder if they are developing one also. The name often intrigues children. There are two versions of why the name came about – which you can explain if they are interested. One version is from the biblical story of Adam and Eve, so that when Adam eats the apple a piece becomes stuck in his throat. The second is that the term is a mistranslation of a Hebrew words that means ‘male bump’.
3, 4 and 5-year-olds
An Adams apple is the bit on your throat that looks like a lump. It protects your voice.
6, 7 and 8-year-olds
An Adams apple is the bit on your throat that looks like a lump. It starts when a young person grows up. It happens because part of growing up is that your larynx gets bigger. The larynx is where your vocal cords are, some people call it the voice box. Your larynx helps you talk, shout, laugh, whisper and sing. It needs to be protected by your Adams apple. Everyone has an Adams apple.
9 and 10-year-olds
11 and 12 year-olds
13, 14 and 15 year-olds
16, 17 and 18 year-olds
An Adams apple is the bit on your throat that looks like a lump. It starts when a young person goes through puberty. It happens because part of growing up is that your larynx gets bigger. The larynx is where your vocal cords are, some people call it the voice box. Your larynx helps you talk, shout, laugh, whisper and sing. Your voice deepens as you grow up, the larynx gets bigger and needs to be more protected, so you grow cartilage (this is a tough flexible tissue) around it. It doesn’t happen overnight, it grows slowly. The development of the larynx and so the Adam’s apple is usually bigger in boys.