cricothyroid muscle (Straight part)

The vertical (medial) portion of the cricothyroid muscle arising from the anterolateral arch of the cricoid cartilage and inserting onto the inferior margin and inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage. It acts to tilt the thyroid cartilage anteriorly at the cricothyroid joint, increasing tension and length of the vocal folds to raise pitch. Innervated by the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (CN X).