The trachea, 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. These numerous cartilaginous half-rings, located one above the other along the trachea have open ends adjacent to the oesophagus. The rings are connected by muscular and fibrous tissue, and they are ...

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Trachea, Trachea - Vertebrate Trachea, Trachea - Invertebrate Trachea

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