Also called: windpipe
The trachea, or windpipe, is a flexible tube about 10 to 12 centimetres long that conducts air from the larynx to the lungs. It is held open by 16 to 20 C-shaped cartilage rings and divides at the carina into the right and left main bronchi at about the level of T4-T5.
| Location | From the lower border of the cricoid cartilage at C6, passing through the neck and superior mediastinum. |
|---|---|
| Structure | C-shaped hyaline cartilage rings, posterior trachealis muscle, ciliated respiratory epithelium; bifurcation at the carina. |
| Function | Air conduction, warming and humidifying inspired air, and clearing debris by the mucociliary escalator. |
| Blood supply | Inferior thyroid and bronchial arteries. |
| Innervation | Vagus and recurrent laryngeal nerves; sympathetic fibres from the sympathetic trunk. |
3D model: BodyParts3D (CC BY 4.0), adult male reference anatomy. Highlighted structure shown with nearby bones for context.
The posterior gap in the tracheal rings allows the esophagus to expand during swallowing.
The rings keep the airway open, while the gap at the back allows the esophagus to expand during swallowing.
The ridge at the tracheal bifurcation into the right and left main bronchi.
Test yourself
Thorax structure quiz
Practise origins, insertions, nerve supply and locations with instant feedback.
Explore in context
Open the trachea in the full 3D atlas
Toggle body systems, explode the model and inspect every neighbouring structure.