The major passages and structures of the upper respiratory tract
include the nose or nostrils, nasal cavity, mouth, throat
(pharynx), and voice box (larynx). The respiratory system is lined
with a mucous membrane that secretes mucus. The mucus traps smaller
particles like pollen or smoke. Hairlike structures called cilia
line the mucous membrane and move the particles trapped in the
mucus out of the nose. Inhaled air is moistened, warmed, and
cleansed by the tissue that lines the nasal cavity.
Review Date: 11/14/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
