Bronchus

In the syllabus and the exam

The bronchus is taught as the branching point where the single trachea divides into two tubes, one leading into each lung, before further dividing into progressively narrower bronchioles that finally lead to the alveoli. Exam questions test whether candidates can correctly sequence the airway, trachea, then bronchus, then bronchiole, then alveolus, since ordering errors are penalised in diagram-labelling and flow-sequence items. Candidates are also expected to note that the bronchus shares the trachea's supporting cartilage and ciliated, mucus-producing lining, continuing the same protective functions of trapping and removing particles further into the respiratory system. A common error is treating bronchus and bronchiole as the same structure; the bronchus is a larger, cartilage-supported tube near the top of each lung, while bronchioles are the finer, cartilage-free branches deeper inside the lung tissue.

Example

A blockage in one bronchus reduces airflow to the lung it serves without necessarily affecting breathing on the other side.

Related terms

TracheaAlveolusGaseous exchange

Source:SRC-DSKP-EN