This site is intended for healthcare professionals

CPD
CPD
Pro
Pro
Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Bronchioles

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Bronchioles are fine airways which constitute the passages produced by the 11th to 17th divisions of the bronchi within the lung parenchyma. The adjective for things related to bronchioles is bronchiolar.

Bronchioles are characterised by:

  • luminal diameters from 0.5mm to 0.2mm
  • within their walls:
    • no hyaline cartilage
    • no submucosal glands
  • prominent outer wall layer of smooth muscle cells capable of constricting the bronchiolar lumen in response to parasympathetic (vagal) inputs; sympathetic fibres dilate the bronchioles

In addition, there are further specialisations of the bronchiole according to its relative position within the respiratory tree:

  • conducting bronchioles
  • terminal bronchioles
  • respiratory bronchioles

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.