Trachea
From Freepedia
The trachea (IPA /'treikiə/), or windpipe, is a tube extending from the larynx to the bronchi in mammals, and from the pharynx to the syrinx in birds, carrying air to the lungs. It is lined with ciliated cells which push particles out and cartilage rings which reinforce the trachea and prevent it from collapsing on itself during the breathing process.
In ill or injured persons, the natural airway formed by the trachea may be damaged or closed off. Intubation is the medical procedure of inserting an artificial tube into the trachea to permit breathing. See also choking.
Diseases of the trachea include:
In Insects
Many terrestrial arthropods have evolved a closed respiratory system composed of spiracles, tracheae, and tracheoles to transport metabolic gasses to and from tissue. The distribution of spiracles can vary greatly among the many orders of insects, but in general each segment of the body may have a pair of spiracles, each of which connects to an atrium and has a relatively large tracheal tube behind it. The tracheae are invaginations of the cuticular exoskeleton that branch (anastomose) throughout the body with diameters ranging from 200 micrometers to 0.1 micrometers. The smallest tubes, tracheoles, penetrate tissue cells and serve as sites of diffusion for water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. Gas may be conducted through the respiratory system by means of active ventilation or passive diffusion. Insects do not carry oxygen in their blood, as do vertebrates; this limits their size.
A tracheal tube may contain ridge-like circumferential rings of taenidia in various geometries such as loops or helixes.
In the head, thorax, or abdomen, tracheae may also be connected to air sacs. Many insects, such as grasshoppers, which actively pump the air sacs in their abdomen, are able to control the flow of air through their body.
Windpipe: Other Usage
1. A windpipe is a section of road or bridleway which has a reputation for having strong crosswinds, or localized wind swirls. A good example of usage is the local nickname for Exit 32 of the Pittsburgh Turnpike.
2. Windpipe is British slang for the anus.
3. 'Windpipe' is the title of a 1998 song by the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, from the soundtrack of the film Belly.
References
- Socha, J.J.; Fezzaa, K.; Lee, W.K.; Waters, J.S.; Westneat, Mark W (January 2005). Tracheal Compression Patterns Involved in Gas Exchange in the Ground Beetle, Platynus decentis. SICB 2005 Annual Meeting Final Program and Abstracts 1: 334-334.
- {{{Author|}}}{{|{{{3}}}}}}|show1| (1998)}}{{{{{Year|}}}}}}|show1|.}} {{|{{{3}}}}}}|show1|[{{{URL}}}}} Chapter 25: The Open Hemolymph System of Holometabola and Its Relation to the Tracheal Space. In "Microscopic Anatomy of Invertebrates"{{|{{{3}}}}}}|show1|]}}{{|{{{3}}}}}}|show1|, {{{Pages}}}}}{{|{{{3}}}}}}|Show1|, Wiley-Liss, Inc.}}. {{{ID|}}}
- Westneat, Mark W.; Betz, Oliver; Blob, Richard W.; Fezzaa, Kamel; Cooper, James W.; Lee, Wah-Keat (January 2003). Tracheal Respiration in Insects Visualized with Synchrotron X-ray Imaging. Science 299: 558-560.
| Respiratory system | edit |
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Nose - Nasal cavity - Pharynx - Larynx - Trachea - Lungs - Conducting zone - Respiratory zone |
