Anatomy, Head and Neck, Trachea

The trachea is a U-shaped structure that is composed of hyaline cartilage on the anterior and lateral walls, with the trachealis smooth muscle forming the posterior border of the trachea. The entire tracheal lumen is lined by ciliated pseudostratified columnar and goblet cells that create the tracheal mucosa. The trachea is part of the conducting airway system that begins immediately inferior to the larynx connected to the cricothyroid cartilage (C6 level) by the cricotracheal ligament. Followed by a series of 16 to 20 hyaline cartilage rings each is individually connected by an annular ligament and terminates at the carina (T5 level posteriorly| sternal angle anteriorly). It then splits into the right and left main bronchi.