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The flexible windpipe that carries air between the larynx and the bronchi, kept open by C-shaped cartilage rings.
Medically reviewed & updated
The trachea, commonly called the windpipe, is the main tube that carries air from the larynx (voice box) down toward the lungs. It is a flexible, semi-rigid tube about 10 to 13 cm long in adults that sits in the front of the neck and upper chest.
The trachea begins just below the larynx, at about the level of the sixth cervical vertebra, and descends through the lower neck into the chest (mediastinum). Its wall is reinforced by roughly 16 to 20 C-shaped rings of cartilage stacked on top of one another. The open back of each C faces the esophagus, where a band of smooth muscle (the trachealis) bridges the gap. This design keeps the airway propped open while still allowing it to flex and to narrow slightly during coughing and swallowing. The inner lining is a moist mucous membrane covered with cilia and mucus-producing cells that trap dust and debris. At its lower end, the trachea divides into the right and left main bronchi at a ridge called the carina.
The trachea's main role is to provide a clear, protected passage for air moving to and from the lungs. Its cartilage rings prevent the tube from collapsing during the pressure changes of breathing. The ciliated lining acts as a self-cleaning escalator, sweeping trapped particles and mucus upward toward the throat to be swallowed or coughed out, which helps keep the lower airways clean. Warming and humidifying incoming air also continues here.
The trachea is the access point for several important procedures. Endotracheal intubation places a breathing tube through the trachea to support ventilation during surgery or critical illness. A tracheostomy creates a surgical opening in the front of the neck directly into the trachea when the upper airway is blocked or long-term ventilation is needed. Tracheal narrowing (stenosis), tumors, or inhaled foreign objects can obstruct airflow and cause stridor or breathing difficulty. The carina is an important landmark on chest imaging and during bronchoscopy.
This page is educational and not a substitute for professional medical advice.