Bronchioles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bronchiole
Diagram of the alveoli with both cross-section and external view.
System	Respiratory system

The bronchioles are tiny tubes inside your lungs. They are like small branches of the larger air tubes called bronchi. Air travels through your nose or mouth, down your windpipe, into your bronchi, and then into these smaller bronchioles.

Unlike the larger bronchi, bronchioles do not have cartilage to keep them open. They also don't have glands in their walls. These tiny tubes get smaller and smaller. They finally lead to tiny air sacs called alveoli.

What are Bronchioles?

Bronchioles are an important part of your respiratory system. They help move air deep into your lungs. Think of your lungs as a tree. The windpipe is the trunk, the bronchi are the main branches, and the bronchioles are the smaller twigs.

How Air Travels Through Your Lungs

When you breathe in, air enters your body. It goes through your nose or mouth. Then it travels down your windpipe (trachea). The windpipe splits into two main bronchi. One bronchus goes to each lung.

Inside your lungs, these bronchi divide into smaller and smaller tubes. These smaller tubes are the bronchioles. They spread out like a network. This network helps air reach every part of your lungs.

The Journey to Alveoli

The bronchioles keep getting smaller. The smallest bronchioles are called terminal bronchioles. These then lead to even tinier tubes. These tubes are called respiratory bronchioles.

Finally, these respiratory bronchioles open into tiny air sacs. These air sacs are called alveoli. This is where oxygen from the air moves into your blood. At the same time, carbon dioxide, a waste gas, moves from your blood into the alveoli to be breathed out.

Why Bronchioles are Important

Bronchioles play a key role in breathing. They make sure that the air you breathe reaches the alveoli. Without them, oxygen would not get to your blood. This is why keeping your bronchioles healthy is very important for your body.

Images for kids

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  A lobule of the lung. It is supplied by a terminal bronchiole. This bronchiole branches into respiratory bronchioles. Each respiratory bronchiole supplies the alveoli.

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  Lungs showing bronchi and bronchioles.

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  A cross-section of a primary bronchiole.

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  1. Trachea
  2. Primary bronchus
  3. Lobar bronchus
  4. Segmental bronchus
  5. Bronchiole
  6. Alveolar duct
  7. Alveolus