The correct response identifies terminal bronchioles as the type of bronchioles that possess cilia and give rise to multiple respiratory bronchioles. Terminal bronchioles are the last segment of conducting airways before the respiratory bronchioles, marking the transition from the conduction zone to the respiratory zone within the lungs.
In terms of anatomy and functionality, terminal bronchioles are lined with ciliated epithelial cells, which play a critical role in the movement of mucus and debris toward the throat, aiding in the cleanliness of the airway. These bronchioles are primarily involved in the conduction of air rather than gas exchange, but they do lead directly to respiratory bronchioles, where gas exchange begins.
The respiratory bronchioles, on the other hand, are characterized by a thin epithelium and are primarily responsible for gas exchange due to the presence of alveoli that bud from their walls. They do not have cilia in the same way that terminal bronchioles do.
The primary bronchi are the main pathways taken by air into the lungs but lack the terminal nature of bronchioles, and secondary bronchi serve as branches off the primary bronchi, also lacking the specific features of terminal bronchioles. Thus, terminal bronchi