Respiratory tree: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

Respiratory tree

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	Respiratory tree
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	Topics Respiratory tree Topic Home The respiratory tree describes the branching structure of the vertebrateVertebrate Vertebrata is a subphylum of chordates, specifically, those with backbones or spinal columns.... lungFacts About Lung The lung is the essential respiration organ in air-breathing vertebrates.... . Beginning with the top of the respiratory system, the tracheaVertebrate trachea The traceartes, or windpipe, is a tube that has an inner diameter of about 20-25 mm and a length of about 10-16cm.... , the order of branchings is as follows: trachea main bronchusBronchus A bronchus is a caliber of airway in the respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs.... lobar bronchus segmental bronchus lobular bronchus conducting bronchioleBronchiole The bronchioles are the first airway branches that no longer contain cartilage.... terminal bronchioleTerminal bronchiole A terminal bronchiole is a bronchiole at the end of the conducting zone.... respiratory bronchioleRespiratory bronchiole The respiratory bronchioles are the beginning of the respiratory segment of the airway and are just distal to the terminal bronchi... alveolar ductAlveolar duct Alveolar ducts are the tiny end tubules of the branching airways that fill the lungs.... alveolar sac alveolus At each division point or generation, one airway branches into two or more smaller airways. The human respiratory tree may consist of up to 28 generations, while the respiratory tree of the mouseMouse A mouse is a mammal that belongs to one of numerous species of small rodents.... has up to 13 generations. Proximal divisions (those closest to the top of the tree, such as the bronchi) mainly function to transmit air to the lower airways. Latter divisions including the respiratory bronchiole, alveolar ducts and alveoli, are specialized for gas exchangeFacts About Gas exchange Gas exchange or respiration takes place at a respiratory surface - a boundary between the external environment and the... .