Trachea

About the Trachea

The trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that runs from the bottom of the larynx down into the chest, where it divides at the carina into the left and right main bronchi. Its wall is supported by a series of C shaped rings of hyaline cartilage that keep it open during breathing, with the open part of each ring facing backward against the esophagus and bridged by the trachealis muscle. The inner surface is lined with ciliated epithelium and mucus producing goblet cells that trap inhaled particles and sweep them upward toward the throat, a mechanism called the mucociliary escalator. The cough reflex is triggered by irritation of the trachea and larger airways. Conditions affecting it include tracheitis, tracheal stenosis after prolonged intubation, and tracheomalacia, a softening of the cartilage that allows the airway to collapse. A tracheostomy is a surgical opening into the trachea used to bypass upper airway obstruction or support long term ventilation.