Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Tertiary bronchus
Introduction
Overview
Overview
The tertiary bronchi (also known as the segmental bronchi) arise from the secondary bronchi. The respiratory epithelium lining their lumen is surrounded by a layer of smooth muscle. This layer is composed of two ribbons of smooth muscle that spiral in opposite directions. The smooth muscle layer is surrounded by irregular plates of hyaline cartilage which help maintain the patency of the airway.
Each of the tertiary bronchi serves a specific bronchopulmonary segment. There are 10 tertiary bronchi in the right lung, and eight in the left.
The tertiary bronchi get smaller and divide into primary bronchioles.
Additional images
Additional images
-
Bronchi, bronchial tree, and lungs -
Cross sectional cut of terminal bronchiole -
Human respiratory bronchiole.
References
References
Gartner, Leslie P. and James L. Hiatt. Color Textbook of Histology, 2nd ed. (2001). ISBN 0-7216-8806-3
External links
External links
- Template:GPnotebook
- Template:SUNYAnatomyLabs – “Pleural Cavities and Lungs: The Bronchi and Their Divisions” (1/2)
- Template:SUNYAnatomyLabs – “Pleural Cavities and Lungs: The Bronchi and Their Divisions” (2/2)
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]