The windpipe

What it does

The trachea runs from the bottom of the voice box down into the chest, where it splits into the two main bronchi. It is held open by C-shaped rings of cartilage, with the open side facing backwards against the oesophagus. Its lining traps dust and germs and moves them upward to be coughed or swallowed.

Why it matters

You can feel the rings of your windpipe in the middle of your lower neck. In an emergency, a blocked airway above can be bypassed by an opening into the trachea.

Nearby

• The airways into the lungs
• The ring cartilage of the throat
• The food pipe
• The thyroid gland
• The lungs

Read more

• Trachea — Wikipedia