What are Tracheal rings?
These are 16-20 incomplete rings which together make up the wall of the trachea. Of these, 9-12 are located in the left bronchus and 6-8 in the right bronchus. These rings are made of cartilage and are held together by a firm, fibrous membrane of an elastic nature.
In Latin, it is known as “Cartilagines tracheales”.
Appearance of Tracheal rings
The tracheal rings are differentiated into three types:
First tracheal cartilage
It is broader than the others and is often divided at one of its ends. The cricotracheal ligament joins it with the lower margin of the cricoid cartilage or the cartilage succeeding it.
Second tracheal cartilage
It is broad and thick in the middle and curves backward and downward between the two bronchi.
Middle tracheal cartilage
These are many in number and lie horizontally above each other and isolated by narrow intervals. These are 1 mm thick and 4 mm deep.
Picture of Tracheal rings
Check out these images of Tracheal rings to know how these cartilaginous rings look like.
Picture 1 – Tracheal rings
Picture 2 – Tracheal rings Image
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracheal_rings
http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/tracheal%20ring
http://www.tracheostomy.com/resources/surgery/trachealrings.htm
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