Trachea & Bronchi

Gross and microscopic anatomy of the bronchi and different histological layers of the walls of bronchi

The trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that connects the larynxthroat to the lungs to transport air into and away from the lung.

It begins at the larynx and splits up into the bronchial network at the level of the 4th or 5th thoracic vertebra. 

The tracheal cartilage is organized into rings of hyaline cartilage providing structural support and preventing the tracheal wall from collapsing while breathing.

The main bronchi are the two primary branches of the trachea that carry air to the lungs.

The bronchial tree branches from the main bronchi into several smaller generations of bronchioles. The final generation of bronchioles are called the terminal bronchioles. They branch into small sacs called alveoli, where oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the lungs.

Learn the anatomy of the respiratory system with interactive quizzes.