What is the pathway of airflow in the lungs?

The most accurate pathway of airflow in the lungs is described as starting from the trachea, moving through the bronchi and bronchioles, and finally reaching the alveoli, where gas exchange occurs. This pathway follows the correct order of air passage during inspiration.

Initially, air enters through the nostrils or mouth, passing through the larynx and down the trachea. From the trachea, the air divides into the left and right bronchi, which branch into smaller bronchioles as it moves deeper into the lungs. Eventually, air travels to the alveoli, which are tiny air sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange occurs in the circulatory system.

The correct pathway demonstrates the hierarchical structure of the respiratory system, allowing for filtration, humidification, and warming of inspired air before it engages in gas exchange at the cellular level in the alveoli. This pathway effectively illustrates how the bronchi and bronchioles serve as conduits for airflow, culminating in the alveoli where the respiratory process reaches its critical function of oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide removal from the bloodstream.