Answer:
The best answer to the question: The most inferior cartilage of the larynx is the:____ and serves as the landmark for tracheotomies, would be: the cricoid cartilage and the place where even unskilled medical respondents can perform cricothyrotomy, in case of acute respiratory obstruction is known as the cricothyroid membrane which connects the upper thyroid cartilage and the lower cricoid cartilage.
Explanation:
In the structure of the larynx, there are several cartilaginous structures, and bony structures, that provide both support and protection to the tube that connects the upper airways with the lower airways and the lungs. These cartilages ensure that these functions are provided and that air and foodstuffs, including water, reach the proper places. On the larynx, going down towards the lungs, we have three single cartilaginous structures and three paired ones, before it turns into the trachea. The two lowest ones are the thyroid and the cricoid. These two are also joined by the cricothyroid membrane. The cricoid is the lowest, or most inferior of the cartilages and it is also the place where health professionals seek the mark to perform what is known as cricothyrotomy, or, tracheostomy.
