Final answer:
The correct answer is that the trachea descends from the larynx into the chest before reaching the main bronchi. The air passage follows from the pharynx to the larynx, and then through the trachea to the bronchi and bronchioles down to the alveoli for gas exchange.
Step-by-step explanation:
The trachea descends through the neck into the chest from the larynx to the main bronchi. Therefore, the correct answer to the question 'The trachea descends through the neck into the ______ from the ______ to the main bronchi' is option 4) trachea, pharynx.
After passing through the pharynx, air moves into the larynx, and then into the trachea, also known as the windpipe. The trachea is a long tube that directs inhaled air down to the chest, where it divides into the right and left bronchi. These bronchi are supported by cartilage to prevent collapse and are lined with cilia and mucus to trap and expel foreign particles. From the bronchi, air continues into smaller passages called bronchioles, which lead to the alveoli, the sites of gas exchange.