1.2 wbk URT anatomy Flashcards

1
Q

what does the URT comprise of ?

A
  • nose & paranasal sinuses
  • pharynx
  • larynx
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2
Q

Which part of the respiratory tract is termed the URT ?

A

the part above the lower border of the cricoid cartilage (which forms the lower border of the larynx)

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3
Q

3 respiratory functions of the URT ?

A
  • conducting air from atmosphere to LRT
  • conditioning of inspired air (warming, humidification, trapping of particles)
  • protection of the airway during swallowing (larynx)
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4
Q

functions of URT that aren’t respiratory related ?

A
  • swallowing (oropharynx & laryngopharynx)
  • smell (olfactory epithelium in nose)
  • speech (larynx)
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5
Q

How is the nasal cavity divided ?

A

into R & L cavities by the median nasal septum

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6
Q

Each nasal cavity extends from the nostril or …1… in front to the posterior …2… / …3…. , behind, through which the nasal cavity communicates with the …4… situated behind it.

A
  1. anterior nares
  2. nares
  3. choanae
  4. nasopharynx
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7
Q

What does the lateral wall of each nasal cavity contain ?

A

3 bony projections known as conchae or turbinates
(superior, middle & inferior)

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8
Q

What i pace below each turbinate known as ?

A

meatus (superior, middle, inferior)

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9
Q

What opens into the meatus ?

A

paranasal sinuses and the naso-lacrimal duct which drains tears from the eye

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10
Q

the floor of the nasal cavity forms what ?

A

the roof of the mouth, which is the hard & soft palates

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11
Q
  1. how many paranasal sinuses exist ?
  2. how are they named ?
  3. what are the names ?
A
  1. 4
  2. for the skull bones within which they are situated
  3. frontal, ethmoidal, maxillary , spehnoidal
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12
Q

paranasal sinuses are ..1.. cavities in the skull that open into the …2… and are lined by ..3…

A
  1. air-containing
  2. nasal cavity
  3. respiratory epithelium
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13
Q

What role do the turbinates play in the nose?

A

increase the surface area for warming and humidification,

cause turbulence, and slow down airflow to increase the time available for these changes to occur.

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14
Q

How do the paranasal sinuses contribute to the function of the nose?

A

warming and humidification of inhaled air

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15
Q

What is the function of the coarse hairs lining the nostrils?

A

trap large particles in inhaled air

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16
Q

How is humidification of the air achieved in the nasal passage?

A

by transudation of fluid through the epithelium and to a lesser extent by mucus secretion

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17
Q

What role do goblet cells play in the nasal passage?

A

secrete mucus that traps almost all particles greater than 5 micrometres

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18
Q

What happens to the mucus and trapped particles in the nasal passage?

A

cilia waft the mucus to the oropharynx where it is swallowed

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19
Q

Why is nose breathing preferred over mouth breathing?

A

the nose always remains open, unlike the mouth, and it prevents the lower air passages from drying out and becoming more vulnerable to infection

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20
Q

What can happen to the lower air passages if nose breathing is impossible?

A

the lower air passages can dry out and become more vulnerable to infection

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21
Q

What is a potential consequence of mouth breathing during exercise, especially for asthmatics?

A

can lead to drying and cooling of the bronchial mucous membranes

which is thought to be a mechanism of bronchoconstriction in asthmatics.

22
Q

How can infections of the upper respiratory tract spread from the nasal cavity? & where to does the spread happen ?

A

Via their respective openings

  • paranasal sinuses
  • pharynx
  • larynx
  • middle ear
  • eye
23
Q

what are the 3 parts that pharynx consists of ?

A
  • nasopharynx
  • oropharynx
  • laryngo (hypo) pharynx
24
Q
  1. where does the nasopharynx lie ?
  2. which part of pharynx ?
A
  1. behind the nose
  2. above the level of the soft palate
25
Q
  1. where does the oropharynx lie ?
  2. which part of pharynx ?
A
  1. behind the mouth &
  2. between soft palate & tip of epiglottis
26
Q
  1. where does laryngopharynx lie ?
  2. which part of pharynx ?
A
  1. behind the larynx
  2. between tip of epiglottis & lower border of the cricoid cartilage
27
Q

what has a common passage through parts of the pharynx ?

A

air & food

28
Q

Failure of mechanisms to prevent aspiration of food particles during swallowing can lead to / cause what ?

A

potentially life-threatening airway obstruction and/or infection (aspiration pnemuonia)

29
Q

What does the eustachian tube allow ?

A

the air pressure in the middle ear cavity to be equalised to atmospheric pressure

30
Q

Via what can URTI spread to middle ear cavity resulting in what ?

A

via auditory tube
resulting in = middle ear infection (acute otitis media)

31
Q

What is the role of the vocal cords in respiration and swallowing?

A

act as a sphincter or valve, guarding the entrance to the trachea by being open during respiration and closed during swallowing

32
Q

What risk is associated with dysfunctional vocal cords?

A

increase the risk of aspiration of food or liquid into the respiratory tract

33
Q

Why is the ability to close the vocal cords necessary?

A

for an effective cough reflex, which is a protective mechanism to expel inhaled particles and clear excessive secretions from the airways

34
Q

How can laryngeal disease present itself?

A

airway obstruction and difficulty in breathing

35
Q

What can a voice change indicate in relation to serious intra-thoracic disease?

A

It can be the first sign of serious intra-thoracic disease due to the involvement of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve in the thorax

36
Q

cartilaginous skeleton of the larynx is made up by what ?

A
  • unpaired cartilages - the epiglottis, thyroid cartilage & cricoid cartilages
    &
  • 1 set of paired cartilages - the arytenoid cartilages
37
Q

what together is termed thhe glottis ?

A

the vocal cords + aperture between the cords

38
Q
  1. Describe action of adduction of vocal cords
  2. this action results in what ?
A
  1. movement of vocal cords towards the midline
  2. closing the aperture e.g. during swallowing (glottis closed)
39
Q

what results in the opening of the vocal cords aperture ? e.g during inspiration

A

Movements of the vocal cords away from the midline = abduction of the vocal cords

40
Q

what happens to vocal cords during the following ?
1. swallowing
2. inspiration
3. speech (phonation)
4. initial part of the cough reflex

A
  1. adducted
  2. open
  3. partially open
  4. adducted
41
Q

What muscles are the vocal cords moved by ?

A

small intrinsic laryngeal muscles

42
Q

which muscles moves the entire larynx but not the vocal cords ?

A

extrinsic laryngeal muscles

43
Q

which nerve supplies all intrinsic muscles except the cricothyroid muscle ?

A

recurrent laryngeal

44
Q

Why can intra thoracic disease compressing / infiltrating the nerve result in a hoarse voice ?

A

paralysis of the left vocal cord

because the nerve on the left side has a long course , part of which is inside the thoracic cavity

45
Q

Aspiration of food into the trachea is prevented by what ?

A

adduction of the vocal cords

46
Q

what’s another mechanism to prevent aspiration apart from adduction of the vocal cords ?

A

epiglottis folds downwards to cover the laryngeal inlet

47
Q

Difficulty in breathing can occure due to problems in the larynx causing narrowing / obstruction of the glottis including what ?

A
  • laryngeal tumour or vocal cord tumours
  • larygeal oedema
  • bilateral vocal cord paralysis
48
Q

laryngeal oedema can be due to what ?

A
  • allergic reactions (e.g. anaphylaxis)
  • severe infections (e.g. croup or acute epiglottitis)
49
Q

Difficulty in breathing may also be due to problems in other parts of the URT other than problems in the larynx what could they be ?

A
  • breathing problems in nose - polyps, tumours - results in mouth breathing
  • problems in pharynx
50
Q

How can problems in the pharynx result in difficulty in breathing ?

A
  • tumours
  • airway of an unconscious person lying on his back may be obstructed by the tongue falling backward obstructing the pharynx