bronchi
Meaning of bronchi: The bronchi are the two large air passages branching from the trachea, one into each lung, that form the lungs' main airway entrance.
Definition of bronchi
The bronchi are the two large air passages that branch off from the trachea, the windpipe, with one bronchus entering each lung. Their walls contain rings of cartilage that hold the airway open and a layer of smooth muscle that can adjust its diameter, along with a lining of ciliated cells that helps sweep mucus and trapped particles upward and out of the airway.
The right bronchus tends to branch off at a more vertical angle and is somewhat wider and shorter than the left, a difference that affects where an inhaled object is more likely to become lodged if aspirated.
Within each lung, the bronchi continue to branch into progressively smaller passages, eventually giving rise to the bronchioles and, ultimately, the air sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged with the blood.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Bronchoscopy was performed to examine the bronchi after the patient reported a persistent cough.
Good to know
Because the right bronchus branches at a more vertical angle than the left, an inhaled object is more likely to become lodged there than on the left side.
Word origin
Where “bronchi” comes from
Formed from Greek bronchos, meaning windpipe.