Noyo Center Talks Science:
Bewildered By Betty Blue’s Big Basihyal Bone
Originally Aired: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Guest Presenter: Dr. Joy Reidenberg
The hyoid (including basihyal, thyrohyal, and stylohyal elements) is a throat bone usually associated with swallowing, breathing, and vocalizing. You can feel it rise and fall in your own throat during a swallow, just above the Adam’s Apple. It is an important regulator of these functions because of its position at the intersection of the respiratory and digestive pathways. Although this bone is very small in humans, it is enormous in whales — even in proportion to their huge body lengths. To find out why, come to this talk! Dr. Reidenberg will focus on its many functions in whales (including blue whales), including not only swallowing, breathing, and vocalizing, but a surprising additional function in locomotion.
There is no fee for our science talk presentations, but your donations help to support the resources it takes to bring you these programs and speakers.
Joy S. Reidenberg, Ph.D. is a comparative anatomist, specializing in comparative anatomy. She is a Professor in the Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY.