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Front view of cartilages of Larynx , Trachea , and Bronchi
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Laryngoscopic view of interior of larynx
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Trachea
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() is a common biological term for an airway through which
Respiratory gas transport takes place in organisms. In terrestrial
Vertebrate s, such as
Bird s and humans, the trachea lets air move from the
Throat to the
Lung s. In terrestrial
Invertebrate s, such as
Onychophoran s and beetles, tracheae conduct air from outside the organism directly to all internal
Tissue s.
__TOC__
The trachea, or windpipe, is a tube extending from the
Larynx to the
Bronchi in
Mammal s, and from the
Pharynx to the
Syrinx in
Bird s, carrying
Air to the lungs. It is lined with
Cilia ted
Cell s which push particles out, and
Cartilage rings which reinforce the trachea and prevent it from collapsing on itself during breathing. These numerous cartilaginous half-rings, located one above the other along the trachea, have open ends adjacent to the
Esophagus . The rings are connected by
Muscular and
Fibrous Tissue , and they are lined inside with a ciliated
Mucous Membrane .
In ill or injured persons, the natural airway formed by the trachea may be damaged or closed off.
Intubation is the medical procedure of inserting an artificial tube into the trachea to permit breathing.
Diseases of the trachea include:
Many
Terrestrial Arthropods have evolved a closed
Respiratory System composed of
Spiracles , tracheae, and
Tracheole s to transport
Metabolic Gasses to and from tissue. Some terrestrial
Woodlice have evolved
Pseudotrachea , a system which is also called corpus alatum, and is made up of air tubes that delivers oxygen to their
Hemolymph . The distribution of spiracles can vary greatly among the many
Orders of
Insects , but in general each segment of the body may have a pair of spiracles, each of which connects to an atrium and has a relatively large
Tracheal Tube behind it. The tracheae are invaginations of the cuticular
Exoskeleton that branch (anastomose) throughout the body with diameters from only a few micrometers up to 0.8mm. The smallest tubes, tracheoles, penetrate cells and serve as sites of
Diffusion for
Water ,
Oxygen , and
Carbon Dioxide . Gas may be conducted through the respiratory system by means of active
Ventilation or passive
Diffusion . Unlike
Vertebrates , insects do not carry
Oxygen in their
Blood ; this may limit their size.
A tracheal tube may contain ridge-like circumferential rings of
Taenidia in various
Geometries such as
Loops or
Helices .
In the
Head ,
Thorax , or
Abdomen , tracheae may also be connected to air sacs. Many insects, such as
Grasshoppers , which actively pump the air sacs in their abdomen, are able to control the flow of air through their body.