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The respiratory system is constantly filtering through the external environment as humans breathe air. The airways must maintain the ability to clear inhaled pathogens, allergens, and debris to maintain homeostasis and prevent inflammation.
The respiratory system subdivides into a conducting portion and a respiratory portion. The majority of the respiratory tree, from the nasal cavity to the bronchi, is lined by pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium. The bronchioles are lined by simple columnar to the cuboidal epithelium, and the alveoli possess a lining of thin squamous epithelium that allows for gas exchange.
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