Final answer:
The guardian of the airways is the epiglottis, not the thyroid cartilage.
Step-by-step explanation:
False. The guardian of the airways that prevents food from entering the superior opening of the larynx is the epiglottis, not the thyroid cartilage. The epiglottis is a flexible piece of elastic cartilage that covers the opening of the trachea, and when in the 'closed' position, it rests on the glottis.