Simon Miya, age 7, of West Jordan, Utah, for his question:

WHAT IS A WINDPIPE?

A person's windpipe is the tube that carries air from the pharynx, which is an air passage from the nose and mouth, to the lungs. A windpipe is also called the trachea.

A person's windpipe is about four and a half inches long and one inch in diameter. It is held open by a series of C shaped pieces of cartilage. These cartilages from the hard ridges on the neck just below the Adam's apple.

The Adam's apple is also called the larynx, or voice box. It is at the top of the windpipe. Air passing over the vocal cords of the larynx causes the cords to vibrate and produce sounds.

The lover end of the windpipe divides into two bronchi, or tubes, which lead to the lungs. The right tube is straighter than the left one.