Synonyms
Lat. = trachea; function trachea, anatomy trachea
Definition
Together with the bronchi and lungs, the trachea is one of the lower airways and connects the nasopharynx with the lungs. The windpipe is located in the throat below the larynx and in the thorax. Breathing air makes its way from the nasal cavity via the pharynx and larynx to the trachea and from there into the bronchi of the lungs.
The trachea is a 10 to 12 cm long, elastic tube with a diameter of 12 mm. It is divided into two sections, the pars cervicalis (“neck part”) and the pars thoracica (“chest part”). In relation to the position of the spinal column behind it, the trachea begins at the level of the 6.7th cervical vertebra and ends at the level of the 4th thoracic vertebra.
There it divides into the right and left main bronchus of the lung and forms a bifurcation (bifurcatio tracheae, “branching”) with a cartilaginous groin (carina tracheae) at this point. The trachea is made up of 10 to 20 horseshoe-shaped cartilage clips, which are connected to each other in a longitudinal direction by ligaments, the ligamenta annularia (ligamentum = band, annulus = ring). The fine tissue structure of the trachea is three-layered (from the inside to the outside): The tunica mucosa consists of multi-rowed ciliated epithelium, which is covered with cilia, so-called cinchona.
Mucus-producing goblet cells are embedded. In addition, there are supporting cells, basal cells and endocrine cells. The boundary to the underlying tunica fibromusculocartilaginea forms a layer of connective tissue with elastic fibers and glands, the glandulae tracheales (glandula = gland).
The middle part of the trachea consists of cartilage clamps made of hyaline cartilage open to the back. The ends of a brace are connected by a muscle-tendon plate (Musculus trachealis), which forms the back wall of the trachea. Between two cartilage braces there is a connective tissue ligament connection (Ligamentum annulare).
Finally, the outermost layer, the tunica adventitia, forms loose connective tissue and anchors the trachea to its surroundings.
- Tunica mucosa = mucous membrane with glands
- Tunica fibromusculocartilaginea = muscles, cartilage, ligaments
- Tunica adventitia = surrounding connective tissue
The trachea, as part of the air-conducting (conductive) airways, serves to warm, humidify and purify the air we breathe. This is done with the help of the mucus-producing goblet cells and the kinocilia of the mucosa. The latter transport mucus and foreign particles towards the throat at a speed of about 15 mm per minute. Nerve fibers are also found in the trachea, which are responsible for the cough reflex and thus also have a cleansing function.
