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The trachea or windpipe is secretory in nature, possessing many exocrine glands and being lined by a pseudostratified columnar epithelium in which ciliated and mucous cells predominate. The ciliated epithelial cells are interspersed with goblet mucosal cells which are covered by microvilli. Goblet cells produce mucous which is secreted through the microvilli and tiny particles present in inhaled air are trapped. The ciliated cells move the mucous upwards and out of the respiratory tract, thus cleaning the pathway.
Image and text copyright © Dennis Kunkel. All rights reserved. |
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