Information AboutBronchus |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BRONCHUS | |
| respiratory system | |
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ANATOMY The Trachea (windpipe) divides into two main bronchi (also mainstem bronchi), the left and the right, at the level of the Sternal Angle . The Right Main Bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the Left Main Bronchus . The main bronchi subdivide into two and three Secondary Bronchi that each serve the left and right lungs, respectively. The lobar bronchi divide into Tertiary Bronchi . Each of the segmental bronchi supplies a Bronchopulmonary Segment . A bronchopulmonary segment is a division of a lung that is separated from the rest of the lung by a Connective Tissue septum. This property allows a bronchopulmonary segment to be surgically removed without affecting other segments. The segmental bronchi divide into many Primary Bronchiole s which divide into Terminal Bronchiole s, each of which then gives rise to several Respiratory Bronchiole s, which go on to divide into 2 to 11 Alveolar Duct s. There are 5 or 6 Alveolar Sac s associated with each alveolar duct. The Alveolus is the basic anatomical unit of gas exchange in the lung. There is Hyaline Cartilage present in the bronchi, present as irregular rings in the larger bronchi (and not as regular as in the trachea), and as small plates and islands in the smaller bronchi. Smooth Muscle is present continuously around the bronchi. ROLE IN DISEASE Bronchitis is viral or bacterial infection of the bronchi. Asthma is hyperreactivity of the bronchi with an inflammatory component, often in response to Allergen s. Chronic Bronchitis (COPD) is Smoking - or coal dust-induced chronic inflammation of the bronchi that leads to obstruction of the airways. While the left mainstem bronchus departs from the trachea at an angle, the right mainstem bronchus is almost a vertical continuation of the trachea. This anatomy predisposes the right lung to several problems:
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