Where does the respiratory zone begin in the airway tree?

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Gas exchange begins in the respiratory zone, which starts where alveolar structures appear along the airway. The first segment that can participate in gas exchange is the respiratory bronchioles, because they have scattered alveoli along their walls, marking the transition from purely conducting airways to regions where oxygen and carbon dioxide can diffuse into and out of the blood. The nasal cavity, trachea, and terminal bronchioles are all part of the conducting zone, which mainly conditions and moves air rather than exchanging gases. So the respiratory zone begins at the respiratory bronchioles.