Trachea muscle. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of smooth muscle from the trachea. The trachea (wind pipe) runs from the larynx (voice box

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Trachea muscle. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of smooth muscle from the trachea. The trachea (wind pipe) runs from the larynx (voice box) to the lungs. The muscle fibres (upper frame) are surrounded by connective tissue (lower frame). Connective tissue supports other tissues and organs. The trachea is held open by incomplete rings of cartilage. Smooth muscle, known as the trachealis muscle, at the back of the trachea completes the rings. The trachealis muscle relaxes with inhalation and contracts with exhalation.

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Size: 4781px × 3669px
Photo credit: © SUSUMU NISHINAGA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: anatomical, anatomy, biological, biology, coloured, connective, false-colour, false-coloured, fascia, fibre, fibres, microscopy, muscle, muscular, pipe, scanning, sem, smooth, strand, strands, tissue, trachea, tracheal, trachealis, wind