Identify larynx trachea bronchi and bronchioles in a diagram
Follow the branching airway route without confusing it with blood vessels or the oesophagus.
Section B11.1 · Gas exchange in humans
Exam scope and assessment notes
Mapped to the named 0973 section using teaching from the corresponding single-science course. A 0973-specific review of every Core and Supplement objective is still in progress. Written practice is self-checked; it does not demonstrate supervised laboratory competence or award an official Cambridge grade. This qualification reports two grades on the 9–1 scale; confirm the entry route for your zone and exam series.
Before you begin
- Distinguish airways from blood vessels.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which route carries air rather than food?
What you will learn
- Follow the airway trunk and branches
- Read the original labels
Identify larynx trachea bronchi and bronchioles in a diagram
Follow the airway trunk and branches
The larynx lies above the trachea in the airway route. The trachea is the main tube descending towards the chest and divides into bronchi leading into the lungs. Inside each lung, bronchi branch into smaller bronchioles, which lead towards alveolar air spaces. The diagram simplifies the many real branches but keeps the order.
The oesophagus is a food passage, not the airway tube; the pulmonary arteries and veins are blood vessels, not bronchi. Identify each label using its position and connections rather than its colour alone. A rotated diagram still has the same branching relationships.
Read the original labels
In this schematic, A marks the larynx, B the trachea, C a bronchus and D a bronchiole. Bronchus is singular and bronchi is plural. The two main bronchi enter different lungs; bronchioles are smaller branches within them, not small blood vessels beside alveoli.
The original map has no actual scale and does not show every airway generation. Use it to learn the route, then compare the published anatomical image later. If a label points to a capillary in a different image, do not call it a bronchiole merely because it is narrow: the supplied air or blood connection determines the distinction.
Sources for this lesson
Pause and explain
Which sequence follows inspired air towards an alveolus?
Worked example
Read A–D in the original airway map.
Show the worked solution
- A is above the main tube.
- The branches become progressively smaller.
Answer A larynx; B trachea; C bronchus; D bronchiole.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Identify A, B, C and D in the airway diagram.
Give me a hint
Use the labelled connections.
Compare my reasoning
- A and B mark the upper trunk.
- C and D mark the larger and smaller branches.
A larynx; B trachea; C bronchus; D bronchiole.
Look for these in your work
- Identify all four
- Use branch relationships
Write the airway route from the larynx to an alveolus.
Give me a hint
Add the exchange space after the small branches.
Compare my reasoning
- Air passes through trachea and bronchus.
- It continues through a bronchiole to alveoli.
Larynx → trachea → bronchus → bronchiole → alveolus.
Look for these in your work
- Keep the correct order
- Keep airways distinct from vessels
A narrow tube in an unfamiliar image carries blood beside alveoli. Should it be identified as a bronchiole only because it is small?
Give me a hint
Connections and contents matter.
Compare my reasoning
- A bronchiole carries air.
- A small vessel carrying blood at alveoli is a capillary.
No; the supplied blood route identifies an associated capillary, not an air-carrying bronchiole.
Look for these in your work
- Use function and connection
- Reject size alone
Common mistakes
- Calling a pulmonary artery a bronchus.
- Using bronchi and bronchioles interchangeably.
What can you explain now?
Which sequence follows inspired air towards an alveolus?
Compare with the explanation
Larynx → trachea → bronchus → bronchiole
It follows the trunk and branches.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Rebuild the airway route and identify each label without relying on colour.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.