airway anatomy

air·way a·nat·o·my

(ār'wā ă-nat'ŏ-mē) The tracheobronchial structure, similar in shape to that of an inverted tree, containing three types of airways: cartilaginous airways (trachea, main bronchi, and approximately five generations of small bronchi); membranous bronchioles (approximately eight generations of noncartilaginous airways); and respiratory bronchioles (approximately five generations of gas-exchange or alveolar ducts).