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Receptors and Reflexes of the Respiratory Tract

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Pulmonary Biology in Health and Disease
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Abstract

The upper airway comprises the extrathoracic portion of the airway and includes the nose, the nasopharynx, the oropharynx, the larynx, and the cranial half of the trachea. The upper airway has respiratory and nonrespiratory functions: the latter includes olfaction, air conditioning, chewing, swallowing, and vocalization. Some of these functions are sometimes in conflict with breathing and a well-developed control mechanism is often required to overcome these difficulties.

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Recommended Readings

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Ambrogio, G.S. (2002). Receptors and Reflexes of the Respiratory Tract. In: Bittar, E.E. (eds) Pulmonary Biology in Health and Disease. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-22435-0_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-22435-0_5

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