Respiratory System - Respiratory Tract

Description:

The respiratory tract of the respiratory system is made up of the following parts −

Nostrils

• Also called external nares.
• Presence of a pair of external nostrils above the upper lips.
• Nostrils leads to the nasal chamber through the nasal passage.

Nasal Chamber

• A pair of chambers enclosed in the nasal capsules and present above the palate.
• Nasal chamber opens into the pharynx.
• Pharynx opens into the trachea.

Laryngopharynx

• Lower part of pharynx.
• Has a slit like aperture called glottis.
• The opening of the wind pipe i.e. glottis, is covered by a cartilaginous flap called epiglottis. This prevents the entry of food into the wind pipe.

Larynx

• Larynx also known as sound box is a cartilaginous box which produces sound.
• Also called Adam’s apple.
• Lined by stratified columnar epithelial cells.
• The cilia in these cells help in removing unwanted particles.

Trachea

• It is the wind pipe.
• Runs down infront of the oesophagus.
• It has got mucus secreting goblet cells and lined by pseudo-stratified ciliated epithelium.