i think you can live w/out it....this is what i found. and good question!
When the larynx or voicebox grows larger during puberty, it sticks out at the front of the throat. This is what's called an Adam's Apple. Everyone's larynx grows during puberty, but a girl's larynx doesn't grow as much as a boy's does. This larger larynx gives boys deeper voices.
The primary purpose of the larynx is to close off the airway when swallowing. The closure of the vocal folds, in addition to other forms of constriction, protects the lungs from the aspiration of food or liquid into the airway. The second purpose of the larynx is to create voice. Within the larynx are the vocal folds, which are responsible for producing sound, or phonation.