Lobar bronchus
Bronchus lobaris
- Synonym: Secondary bronchus
- Related terms: Lobar bronchi
Definition
A lobar bronchus (Secondary bronchus) is one of the major airway divisions that branches off from the main (primary) bronchi and supplies air to each lobe of the lung. There are three lobar bronchi on the right (superior, middle, and inferior) corresponding to the three lobes of the right lung, and two lobar bronchi on the left (superior and inferior) corresponding to the two lobes of the left lung.
Origin: Each lobar bronchus arises from the main (primary) bronchus after it enters the lung hilum.
Like the mainstem bronchi, lobar bronchi contain C-shaped cartilaginous rings that maintain airway patency, along with smooth muscle, submucosal glands, and a respiratory epithelium lining.
Each lobar bronchus further divides into segmental (tertiary) bronchi, which supply the individual bronchopulmonary segments of each lobe.
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