The airways are those parts of the respiratory system through which air flows, to get from the external environment to the alveoli. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The alveoli (singular:alveolus), tiny hollow sacs which are continuous with the airways, are the sites of gas exchange with the blood. ...

The airway begins at the mouth or nose, and accesses the trachea via the pharynx. The trachea branches into the left and right main bronchi at the carina, situated at the level of the second thoracic vertebra. The bronchi branch into large bronchioles, one for each lobe of the lung. Within the lobes, the bronchi further subdivide some 20 times, ending in clusters of alveoli. Trachea (IPA: ) is a common biological term for an airway through which respiratory gas transport takes place in organisms. ... The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the neck and throat situated immediately posterior to the mouth and nasal cavity, and cranial to the esophagus, larynx, and trachea. ... A bronchus (plural bronchi, adjective bronchial) is a caliber of airways in the the respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. ... Diagram of a tsetse fly, showing the head, thorax and abdomen The thorax is a division of an animals body, that lies between the head and the abdomen. ... A diagram of a thoracic vertebra. ... The bronchioles are the first airway branches that no longer contain cartilage. ... In telecommunication, the term lobe has the following meanings: An identifiable segment of an antenna radiation pattern. ... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ...

The epithelial surfaces of the airways contain cilia. Inhaled particles stick to mucus (secreted by goblet cells) which is continuously removed from the airways by these cilia. The airway epithelium also secretes a watery fluid upon which the mucus can ride freely. The production of this fluid is impaired by the disease cystic fibrosis. Macrophages are present in the airways. These cells protect the airways from infection by engulfing inhaled particles and bacteria. In zootomy, epithelium is a tissue composed of a layer of cells. ... cross-section of two cilia, showing 9+2 structure A cilium (plural cilia) is a fine projection from a eukaryotic cell that constantly beats in one direction. ... Mucus is a slippery secretion of the lining of various membranes in the body (mucous membranes). ... Cells in culture, stained for keratin (red) and DNA (green). ... Macrophages (Greek: big eaters) are cells found in tissues that are responsible for phagocytosis of pathogens, dead cells and cellular debris. ... Phyla/Divisions Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Omnibacteria Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular, bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ...

Certain conditions require tracheal intubation to secure the airway. Airway devices are used to assist intubation.

http://vam.anest.ufl.edu/airwaydevice/index.html A free resource about airway devices including a video library