The tubes are composed of sturdy but flexible and smooth muscle . As the tubes get smaller, the amount of cartilage decreases while smooth muscle increases, allowing the airways to change diameter to regulate airflow. Key Functions Bronchiectasis usually the result of damage to airways
: These branch off the main bronchi to supply the specific lobes of the lungs (three on the right, two on the left). bronchial tube
: The trachea divides into the right main bronchus (shorter and wider) and the left main bronchus (longer and narrower). The tubes are composed of sturdy but flexible
: The smallest branches that eventually lead to alveoli , the microscopic air sacs where gas exchange occurs. bronchial tube
The bronchial tubes begin where the trachea splits (bifurcates) into two primary paths: