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Hyaline cartilage is the most common kind of cartilage in the human body. [2] It is primarily composed of type II collagen and proteoglycans. [2] Hyaline cartilage is located in the trachea, nose, epiphyseal plate, sternum, and ribs. [2] Hyaline cartilage is covered externally by a fibrous membrane known as the perichondrium. [2]
The trachea is the largest tube in the respiratory tract and consists of tracheal rings of hyaline cartilage. It branches off into two bronchial tubes, a left and a right main bronchus. The bronchi branch off into smaller sections inside the lungs, called bronchioles. These bronchioles give rise to the air sacs in the lungs called the alveoli. [10]
The trachea begins at the lower edge of the cricoid cartilage of the larynx [3] at the level of sixth cervical vertebra (C6) [2] and ends at the carina, the point where the trachea branches into left and right main bronchi., [2] at the level of the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4), [2] although its position may change with breathing. [3]
The thyroid cartilage is a hyaline cartilage structure that sits in front of the larynx and above the thyroid gland. The cartilage is composed of two halves, which meet in the middle at a peak called the laryngeal prominence, also called the Adam's apple. [1] In the midline above the prominence is the superior thyroid notch.
The cartilage cells or chondrocytes are contained in cavities in the matrix, called cartilage lacunae; around these, the matrix is arranged in concentric lines as if it had been formed in successive portions around the cartilage cells. This constitutes the so-called capsule of the space.
Elastic cartilage is found in the external ear flaps and in parts of the larynx. Hyaline cartilage has fewer cells than elastic cartilage; there is more intercellular space. Hyaline cartilage is found in the nose, ears, trachea, parts of the larynx, and smaller respiratory tubes.
The carina is a cartilaginous ridge separating the left and right main bronchi that is formed by the inferior-ward and posterior-ward prolongation of the inferior-most tracheal cartilage. [2] The carina occurs at the lower end of the trachea - usually at the level of the 4th to 5th thoracic vertebra.
The diameter of the bronchioles is often said to be less than 1 mm, though this value can range from 5 mm to 0.3 mm. As stated, these bronchioles do not have hyaline cartilage to maintain their patency. Instead, they rely on elastic fibers attached to the surrounding lung tissue for support.