Question

Prevents food and liquid from entering the rest of the respiratory tract

a) alveoli
b) bronchioles
c) trachea
d) nasal cavity
e) bronchi
f) pharynx
g) larynx

Answer 1

The larynx, equipped with the epiglottis, functions to prevent food and liquid from entering the rest of the respiratory system, ensuring that only air passes into the trachea and towards the lungs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The structure that prevents food and liquid from entering the rest of the respiratory tract is the larynx. This is a critical part of the lower respiratory tract and functions as the gateway to the trachea. A flap called the epiglottis, located at the larynx, plays a vital role in closing off the trachea during swallowing, which prevents aspiration of food or liquid into the lungs.

When we breathe in, air travels from the nasal cavity to the pharynx, then via the larynx into the trachea. After that, it reaches the bronchi and finally the bronchioles before arriving at the alveoli, where gas exchange occurs. Conversely, the bronchioles do not branch into bronchi as the airflow during inhalation follows the sequence from larger to smaller passages; hence, bronchioles are the smaller passages that lead to the alveoli.