Lung
- distributing and respiratory airways (10x objective lens)
-
This composite image
from two micrographs shows a longitudinal section through
an airway in a lung from a mouse. At the upper end the airway is a segmental
bronchus (tertiary bronchus), as shown by the presence of cartilage
in the wall. Where the cartilage plates end marks the beginning of a bronchiole,
which, almost immediately, becomes a respiratory
bronchiole, which has a wall that is partially
conducting, like a bronchiole, and partially respiratory. This transition
marks the beginning of the respiratory area of the lung. The passage then
becomes an alveolar duct, which leads, in turn,
to numerous alveoli.
Note: Owing to the collapse of the alveoli during
fixation, the structure of the respiratory areas is not as clear as in a preparation
fixed with the lungs inflated.
- Stain = Iron Hematoxylin
Copyright
Paul B. Bell, Jr. & Barbara Safiejko-Mroczka
The
University of Oklahoma
Version 010603