Final answer:
The muscles that adduct the vocal cords and arytenoids are the lateral cricoarytenoid and cricothyroid muscles. The lateral cricoarytenoid is responsible for adducting the vocal folds for phonation, while the cricothyroid adjusts the tension and pitch of the vocal cords.
Step-by-step explanation:
The muscles that adduct the vocal cords and arytenoids are critical for the production of sound. The lateral cricoarytenoid muscles are primarily responsible for the adduction of the vocal folds. These muscles pull the arytenoid cartilages, which are attached to the vocal cords, towards each other, thereby closing the space between the vocal cords. This action is essential for phonation, or the production of vocal sounds. In contrast, the cricothyroid muscle primarily acts to tense the vocal cords, which changes the pitch of the sound produced. It tilts the thyroid cartilage and stretches the vocal cords.
It is important to note that the muscles mentioned in the other options, such as the pectoralis major, biceps brachii, rectus abdominis, latissimus dorsi, quadriceps femoris, and gluteus maximus, are primarily involved in movements unrelated to vocal cord function. Thus, regarding the options provided in the question, it is clear that the correct answer is the combination of the cricothyroid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles that serve specific roles in voice modulation and sound production.