Page:Structure and functions of the body; a hand-book of anatomy and physiology for nurses and others desiring a practical knowledge of the subject (IA structurefunctio00fiskrich).pdf/129

 —The larynx, trachea and bronchi (After Sobotta.)

The Trachea.—The trachea is a membranous tube extending down from the larynx for about four and a half inches to the fourth or fifth dorsal vertebra, where it divides into the right and left bronchi. It is formed of sixteen to twenty imperfect cartilaginous rings, open behind, enclosed in a double elastic fibrous membrane, and is lined with ciliated mucous membrane. The rings are for strength and in the interval at the back where they are wanting there is one layer of longitudinal and another of transverse unstriped muscle fibers. The passage is kept clear by the action of the cilia, which sweep up and out any particles of dust that become entangled in the mucus. Tracheotomy is generally done about one inch below the cri