Contents
What is the main airway to the lungs?
The TRACHEA (windpipe) is the passage leading from your pharynx to the lungs. The RIBS are bones supporting and protecting your chest cavity. They move a small amount and help the lungs to expand and contract. The trachea divides into the two main BRONCHI (tubes), one for each lung.
What are the airways that take air to the bottom of the lungs?
At its bottom end, the trachea divides into left and right air tubes called bronchi (BRAHN-kye), which connect to the lungs. Within the lungs, the bronchi branch into smaller bronchi and even smaller tubes called bronchioles (BRAHN-kee-olz).
What is the branching airways?
The bronchi themselves branch many times into smaller airways, ending in the narrowest airways (bronchioles), which are as small as one half of a millimeter (or 2/100 of an inch) across. The airways resemble an upside-down tree, which is why this part of the respiratory system is often called the bronchial tree.
What is the airway?
The airway, or respiratory tract, describes the organs of the respiratory tract that allow airflow during ventilation. [1][2][3]They reach from the nares and buccal opening to the blind end of the alveolar sacs. They are subdivided into different regions with various organs and tissues to perform specific functions.
How does air get to your lungs?
As your lungs expand, air is sucked in through your nose or mouth. The air travels down your windpipe and into your lungs. After passing through your bronchial tubes, the air travels to the alveoli, or air sacs.
How does air get into the lungs?
How are the lungs part of the respiratory system?
The lungs are a vital part of the respiratory system, which allows you to breathe. In addition to the lungs, the respiratory system includes airways that carry air in and out of your lungs, blood vessels surrounding the lungs, and the muscles that help you breathe.
Which is smaller the left lung or the right lung?
The left lung is a little smaller than the right lung because it shares space in the left side of the chest with the heart. The bronchi themselves branch many times into smaller airways, ending in the narrowest airways (bronchioles), which are as small as one half of a millimeter (or 2/100 of an inch) across.
How are smaller Airways supported by the lung tissue?
Smaller airways are supported by the lung tissue that surrounds and is attached to them. The walls of the smaller airways have a thin, circular layer of smooth muscle. The airway muscle can relax or contract, thus changing airway size. Thousands of small air sacs (alveoli) are at the end of each bronchiole.
Where are the air sacs in the respiratory system?
The walls of the smaller airways have a thin, circular layer of smooth muscle. The airway muscle can relax or contract, thus changing airway size. Thousands of small air sacs (alveoli) are at the end of each bronchiole.