This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Respiratory tree (anatomy)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

In this text, the respiratory tree is taken to mean the branching portion of the respiratory tract within the thoracic cavity:

  • trachea
  • main bronchi
  • lobar bronchi
  • segmental bronchi
  • lobular bronchi
  • conducting bronchioles
  • terminal bronchioles
  • respiratory bronchioles
  • alveolar ducts
  • alveolar sacs
  • alveoli

There may be up to 28 divisions of the bronchial tree beyond the tracheal bifurcation. The proximal divisions are involved with air conduction whereas the latter divisions are adapted to gaseous exchange.

The areas of the lung supplied by successive divisions of the bronchial tree have special terms e.g.:

  • lobe - area supplied by a lobar bronchus
  • bronchopulmonary segment - area supplied by a segmental bronchus
  • lobule - area supplied by a terminal bronchiole

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed 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.