Bronchial Tree

The trachea bifurcates at the carina into the right and left main bronchi. The right bronchus shorter, wider and more vertical that the left bronchus; the left bronchus is twice the length of the right bronchus.

The walls of the bronchi are similar to that of the trachea although the cartilages become increasingly small and eventually disappear in the bronchioles. The right and left bronchi divide into lobar bronchi, these divide again into segmental bronchi, each supplying a bronchopulmonary segment.

Bronchioles are not held up by cartilage, instead a surfactant fluid maintains the patency of the of the airway. The conducting bronchioles ultimately give rise to terminal bronchioles which then become respiratory bronchioles that have alveoli extentions.

Clinical Importance:

As the right main bronchus is shorter and more vertical than its left counterpart, often when foreign objects are aspirated, they enter the right main bronchus.

A bronchoscopy allows for inspection of the tracheopbronchial tree.

Blood Supply

The bronchial arteries supply the bronchi.

The bronchial veins drain the bronchi.

The bronchi are innervated by the pulmonary branches of the vagus nerve.