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The
Respiratory Airways
During normal breathing,
air enters and leaves the body through the nasal passages
or the mouth.
During inspiration (breathing
in) air is warmed in the nasal passages and it also takes
up moisture (humidification).
The air then passes through
a serious of branching (dividing) airways. These decrease
in size and are termed:
- Trachea (the windpipe)
- Bronchi
- Bronchioles
- Terminal bronchioles
- Respiratory bronchioles
- Alveolar ducts
- Alveolar sacs
There are 23 divisions of airways and 300 million alveoli
in an average adult. The total surface area of an average
adult’s lungs is about 70 m2.
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