Science Fair Project Encyclopedia The trachea (IPA /'treikiə/),
or windpipe, is a tube extending from the larynx to the bronchi
in mammals, and from the pharynx to the syrinx in birds,
carrying air to the lungs. It is lined with ciliated cells which
push particles out and reinforced with cartilage rings. In ill
or injured persons, the natural airway formed by the trachea may
be damaged or closed off. Intubation is the medical procedure of
inserting an artificial tube into the trachea to permit
breathing. See also choking. Diseases of the trachea include:
Many terrestrial arthropods have evolved a closed respiratory
system composed of spiracles, tracheae, and tracheoles to
transport metabolic gasses to and from tissue. The distribution
of spiracles can vary greatly among the many orders of insects,
but in general each segment of the body may have a pair of
spiracles, each of which connects to an atrium and has a
relatively large tracheal tube behind it. The tracheae are
invaginations of the cuticular exoskelet