Histology

The Respiratory System

Prof. Dr. Sabah N. Alwachi
The Respiratory system (Part 1)
The Respiratory system
 The Trachea is a short, flexible air tube about 2.5 cm in diameter &
about 10 cm long.

 It serves as a conduit for air.

 It extends from the larynx to about the middle of the thorax,

 Then it divides into the two main (primary) bronchi.

 The lumen of the trachea stays open because of the arrangement of

the series of C- cartilaginous rings.
The Respiratory system
 The wall of the trachea consists of four layers :
 1- Mucosa,
 composed of a ciliated, pseudostratified epithelium and an
elastic, fiber-rich lamina propria .
 2- Submucosa,

 composed of a slightly denser connective tissue than the lamina

propria.
The Respiratory system

 3- Cartilaginous layer, composed of C-

shaped hyaline cartilages .
 4- Adventitia, composed of connective tissue
that binds the trachea to adjacent structures .
 contains the largest blood vessels and nerves
that supply the tracheal wall.
The Respiratory system

 The C-shaped hyaline cartilages are stacked one on

top of each other to form a supporting structure.
 The trachealis muscle is made of elastic fiber tissue
and smooth muscle.
 They bridge the gap between the free ends of the C-
shaped cartilages at the posterior border of the
trachea adjacent to the esophagus .
The Respiratory system
The Respiratory system

 The tracheal cartilages and trachealis muscle separate

submucosa from adventitia.
The Respiratory system
 The tracheal epithelium consists of :
- Ciliated columnar cells,
- Mucous (goblet) cells,
- Basal cells.
 Brush cells & small granule cells are also present, but in small numbers .

 Ciliated cells :
 Cilia appear in histologic sections as short, hair-like profiles.
 Each cell has approximately 250 cilia.
 The cilia provide a coordinated sweeping motion of the mucous coat.
The Respiratory system

 In summary , the ciliated cells function as an important

protective mechanism for removing small inhaled
particles from the lungs.
 Mucous cells are similar in appearance to intestinal
goblet cells .
 Brush cells are columnar cells that bear microvilli.

 Each brush cell is regarded as a receptor cell.

The Respiratory system
 Small granule cells are respiratory representatives of the
general class of entero-endocrine cells of the gut and gut
derivatives .
 These cells usually occur singly in the trachea and are
slightly dispersed among the other cell types.
 Basal cells serve as a reserve cell population that maintains
individual cell replacement in the epithelium .
The Respiratory system

 A thick “basement membrane” is

characteristic of tracheal epithelium.

 Located beneath the tracheal epithelium.

The Respiratory system

 The lamina propria

 appears as a typical loose connective

tissue .
 It is very cellular, containing numerous
lymphocytes, Plasma cells, mast cells,
eosinophils, and fibroblasts.
Trachea ( Transverse Section)