What is the Meaning & Definition of bronchus
It is called a bronchus to the tube that allows the passage of air from the trachea to the pulmonary alveoli. The trachea at its lower end forks giving origin to the two main bronchi, one right and another left, since then both go to the lung corresponding to suffer a series of divisions shaped branches reaching very thin tubular structures known as Bronchioles that finally give way to the functional unit of the lung known as alveoli.
The bronchi are formed by an internal or mucous layer that consists of hair-shaped structures known as Cilia, they have the function to carry out a sweeping motion to the outside in order to keep the air free of secretions, foreign objects and dust and microorganisms.
Towards its periphery the bronchi are composed of smooth muscle, cartilage-coated, this does have the ability to increase or decrease their diameter staying always permeable.
The bronchi are seat of various kinds of diseases, the most common are infections that are known as bronchitis in adults and bronchiolitis in young children. The bronchitis can be caused by both viruses and bacteria and have as main symptom cough that may be dry or wet depending on whether there are or not secretions.
Another common condition is the bronchial asthma, a disease in which there is a hyper-responsiveness of the bronchus to external stimuli such as changes in temperature, dust, drugs and even stress which leads to the muscle of the bronchus to shrink hindering the passage of air, in this case the main manifestation is breathlessness or shortness of breath.
Less frequently there may be blockage of the via air by foreign bodies entering by inhalation, such is the case of seeds of some fruits, food particles or even the gastric contents back to conditions as reflux or vomiting. These elements constitute mechanical barriers to the flow of air and are capable of producing the collapse of the segment of lung ventilated by the bronchus affected from the point of obstruction, this phenomenon is known as atelectasis and tends to be more frequent in the right lung to the left, this is due to the fact that the right bronchus is a ride more upright than the left.
The bronchi are also seat of malignant diseases such as lung cancer that includes several types of lung cancer, these are directly related to smoking cigarettes and constitute the main death by cancer around the world.
The bronchi are formed by an internal or mucous layer that consists of hair-shaped structures known as Cilia, they have the function to carry out a sweeping motion to the outside in order to keep the air free of secretions, foreign objects and dust and microorganisms.
Towards its periphery the bronchi are composed of smooth muscle, cartilage-coated, this does have the ability to increase or decrease their diameter staying always permeable.
The bronchi are seat of various kinds of diseases, the most common are infections that are known as bronchitis in adults and bronchiolitis in young children. The bronchitis can be caused by both viruses and bacteria and have as main symptom cough that may be dry or wet depending on whether there are or not secretions.
Another common condition is the bronchial asthma, a disease in which there is a hyper-responsiveness of the bronchus to external stimuli such as changes in temperature, dust, drugs and even stress which leads to the muscle of the bronchus to shrink hindering the passage of air, in this case the main manifestation is breathlessness or shortness of breath.
Less frequently there may be blockage of the via air by foreign bodies entering by inhalation, such is the case of seeds of some fruits, food particles or even the gastric contents back to conditions as reflux or vomiting. These elements constitute mechanical barriers to the flow of air and are capable of producing the collapse of the segment of lung ventilated by the bronchus affected from the point of obstruction, this phenomenon is known as atelectasis and tends to be more frequent in the right lung to the left, this is due to the fact that the right bronchus is a ride more upright than the left.
The bronchi are also seat of malignant diseases such as lung cancer that includes several types of lung cancer, these are directly related to smoking cigarettes and constitute the main death by cancer around the world.