Final answer:
The conducting airways of the lower respiratory tract include the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles, which are responsible for warming, cleaning, and humidifying the air before it reaches the alveoli for gas exchange.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conducting Airways of the Lower Respiratory Tract
The lower respiratory tract's conducting airways include three primary structures responsible for directing air into the lungs. These are the trachea, the bronchi, and the bronchioles. The trachea, a cartilaginous tube also known as the windpipe, begins below the larynx and provides an unobstructed path for air to travel to the lungs. It splits into the left and right bronchi, which further branch out into smaller passages known as bronchioles. These anatomical structures form part of the conducting zone of the respiratory system, which functions to warm, clean, and humidify the air we breathe before it reaches the alveoli where gas exchange occurs.