The branching airways that conduct air from the trachea into the lungs.
Structure
The left and right main bronchi enter each lung at the hilum. Inside, they branch into lobar bronchi, then segmental bronchi, then progressively smaller bronchioles, ending in the terminal and respiratory bronchioles that feed the alveoli.
Walls
Larger bronchi have cartilage plates that hold them open. As they branch, the cartilage diminishes and smooth muscle becomes more prominent, allowing the airways to constrict or dilate in response to nervous and chemical signals.
Asymmetry
The right main bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the left, which is why inhaled foreign objects tend to lodge on the right side.
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