Trachea (Trachea)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
A 10–12 cm air tube from larynx (C6) to the carina (T4–T5, sternal angle), braced by C-shaped cartilage rings open posteriorly where the trachealis spans; supplied by inferior thyroid and bronchial branches. The right main bronchus is more vertical — why aspirated foreign bodies enter it.
Clinical notes
Extrinsic compression (substernal goitre) causes stridor and nocturnal dyspnoea; cricothyroid access provides a safe emergency airway above it, and blunt deceleration tears the membranous wall, signalled by mediastinal emphysema.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Trachea?
A 10–12 cm air tube from larynx (C6) to the carina (T4–T5, sternal angle), braced by C-shaped cartilage rings open posteriorly where the trachealis spans; supplied by inferior thyroid and bronchial branches. The right main bronchus is more vertical — why aspirated foreign bodies enter it.
Why is the Trachea clinically important?
Extrinsic compression (substernal goitre) causes stridor and nocturnal dyspnoea; cricothyroid access provides a safe emergency airway above it, and blunt deceleration tears the membranous wall, signalled by mediastinal emphysema.
Source & license
BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). license details