Final answer:
The lateral cricoarytenoid is a type of skeletal muscle, which is striated and voluntarily controlled, differing from smooth and cardiac muscle. The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
The lateral cricoarytenoid is a type of skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscles are one of the three muscle types found in the body, and like cardiac muscle, they are striated. Striated muscles have a banded appearance due in part to their highly organized structure of sarcomeres and their arrangement into bundles. Unlike smooth muscle, which is not striated and has cells that are arranged in sheets, skeletal and cardiac muscles are both striated.
However, cardiac muscle is found only in the heart and has a unique structure connecting at branching points known as intercalated discs. The lateral cricoarytenoid, being a skeletal muscle, is under voluntary control and helps with the modulation of voice by controlling the tension on the vocal cords. Hence, a is the correct option.