trachea
After air has entered through the mouth or nose, it moves to the trachea. The trachea, or "windpipe," is the long tube in your throat. It continues to warm the air as it passes through.
The trachea is right next to the esophagus, which is the pipe that moves food to your stomach. Since they are so close together, you might wonder how your body makes sure air gets to your lungs and food gets to your stomach. A small flap, called the epiglottis, moves back and |
forth to cover whichever pipe is not being used. But have you ever heard someone choke and then say, "it went down the wrong pipe"? They're actually right! Sometimes, the epiglottis moves just a little too slowly and some food gets into your windpipe. Luckily, the trachea is also lined with cilia, which catches any food or drink before it gets to your lungs.
At the top of the trachea is the larynx, or voice box. There are a pair of vocal cords inside the larynx. When these vocal cords are contracted as air passes through, they vibrate and make noise. If you touch your throat while you're talking, you can feel your larynx at work! Compare the difference of vibrations when you're talking to when you're breathing.