Re: What happens to a piece of food accidentally inhaled into the lungs?

Inhaled food would not make it down to the lungs. The bronchial tubes are designed to catch anything larger than 10 micrometers. Particle size determinant >10 µm: Either filtered in the nose or impacted in the nasal and oral pharynx and then cleared by coughing or sneezing. 5-10 µm: Trapped in mucus blanket in the conducting airways and moved cephalad by ciliary action (cilia move only in the cephalad direction). At the level of the larynx they are either swallowed or expectorated (coughed up). <2 µm (aerodynamic diameter): Phagocytosed (engulfed) by alveolar macrophages (white blood cells). Water-soluble gases: Tend to dissipate in the upper airways, while insoluble gases tend to diffuse into the lungs, where they can cause extensive damage. everything you ever wanted to know about lungs and lung disease can be found at: http://edcenter.med.cornell.edu/CUMC_PathNotes/Respiratory/Respiratory.html