Master Respiratory Anatomy with Picmonic for Pre-Health

The nasal cavity is inside the nose and nostrils. It serves as the primary location of air entry into the body.

Hair in the nasal cavity filters out dust and other particles.

Mucus produced in the nasal cavity filters out particles for expulsion and also helps keep the nose moist by humidifying passing air. This helps prevent damage to nasal tissues from dryness.

Capillaries that run near the surface of the nose give off heat through convection, which warms air coming into the nose.

The pharynx is the main part of the throat just behind the mouth and nasal cavity. Upon inhalation, air travels down and comes to the larynx.

The larynx is between the pharynx and trachea, and helps expel any particles that made it past the nose or mouth.

Cilia in the larynx expel mucus and dust back up through the pharynx and out of the body.

The trachea is the windpipe and connects the larynx with the lungs. It bifurcates into the two primary bronchi.

There are two primary bronchi; one to the left lung and one to the right lung. They divide into bronchioles, which are smaller passages for air.

The alveoli are the sites of gas exchange in the lungs, where CO2 is absorbed from the blood and oxygen is absorbed into the blood.