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Anatomy of The Trachea and Bronchial Tree: Learning Points

The trachea is a 10cm long elastic tube that extends from the larynx to the carina where it divides into the right and left main bronchi. The right main bronchus is shorter, wider and more vertical than the left main bronchus, which is longer, narrower and more horizontal. The trachea and bronchi form a branching network that transports air to the lungs for gas exchange.

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hITESH SAINI
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333 views2 pages

Anatomy of The Trachea and Bronchial Tree: Learning Points

The trachea is a 10cm long elastic tube that extends from the larynx to the carina where it divides into the right and left main bronchi. The right main bronchus is shorter, wider and more vertical than the left main bronchus, which is longer, narrower and more horizontal. The trachea and bronchi form a branching network that transports air to the lungs for gas exchange.

Uploaded by

hITESH SAINI
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Anatomy of the Trachea and Bronchial Tree

The trachea and bronchial tree form a systemLearning Points


of airways that allow
the passage of air to the lungs to take place in gas exchange.
 
The trachea is about 10cm
long and extends from the
level of the 6th cervical
vertebrae (at the cricoid
c a r t i l a g e ) t o t h e 4th
thoracic vertebrae.

It is an elastic structure
held open by incomplete
C-shaped cartilaginous
t ra c h e a l r i n g s j o i n e d
posteriorly by the
trachealis muscle.

The trachea divides into


the right and left main
bronchi at the carina
which is at the level of the
5th thoracic vertebrae.

The carina is the most


sensitive area of the
trachea for triggering the
cough reflex.
Larynx, Trachea and Bronchial Tree
The right and left
main bronchi differ
from each other.

The right is shorter


(only 3cm in length
before it gives off
the bronchus to the
right upper lobe),
wider and more
vertical.

The left is longer


(5cm), narrower and
more horizontal.
Bronchoscopy view of the carina
This means that inhaled foreign bodies are more likely to enter the
right main bronchus. It also means that it is easier to place a
double lumen tube into the left main bronchus rather than the
right where the upper lobe can easily be obstructed.
The right and left main bronchi undergo further branching to
produce secondary bronchi. Each secondary bronchi supplies a
lobe of the lung. The right lung has 3 lobes and the left lung has 2
lobes.

The lobar bronchi then give rise to several segmental bronchi each
of which supplies a bronchopulmonary segment.
Bronchopulmonary segments consist of numerous smaller airways,
the bronchioles, which make up the functional units of the lungs.

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