15 - Respiratory System Flashcards
The term respiration covers a broad array of processes. Which?
- Ventilation, or breathing, which is the movement of air into and out of the lungs.
- The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air in the lungs and the blood.
- The transport of oxygen and carbondioxide in the blood.
- The exchange of oxygen and cabondioxide between the blood and the tissues. (Cellular respiration)
In addition to the important functions of gas-exchange, at least 4. other important functions are performed by the respiratory system. Which?
- Regulation of blood pH
- Voice production
- Olfaction
- Innate immunity.
The respiratiory system is divided into two parts.
The upper respiratory tracts and the lower respiratiory tract.
Which structures are associated with the upper respiratory tract?
The external nose, the nasal cavity and the pharynx.
Which structures are associated with the lower respiratory tract?
The larynx, the trachea, the bronchi, and the lungs.
The oral cavity is a part of which system?
It is usually considered a part of the digestive system, and not a respiratory system component.
What are the nares?
The nares are the external openings of the nose. Popularly known as nostrils.
What are the choanae?
The choanae are the openings in the nasal cavity that lead to the pharynx.
What is the nasal septum?
The nasal septum is a partition dividing the nasal cavity into right and left parts.
What is the hard palate?
The hard palate forms the floor of the nasal cavity, separating the nasal cavity from the oral cavity.
What are the conchae?
The conchae are the three bony ridges on the lateral walls on each side of the nasal cavity. The conchae increase the surface area of the nasal cavity and cause air to churn, so that it can be cleansed, humidified and warmed.
What are the paranasal sinuses?
The paranasal sinuses are air-filled spaces within bone. The paranasal sinuses open into the nasal cavity and are lined with a mucuous membrane. They produce mucus, and influence the quality of the voice by acting as resonating chambers.
What are the nasolacrimal ducts?
The ducts that carry tears. Also open onto the nasal cavity.
What is the photic sneeze reflex?
The phenomenon in which people (17-25% of all humans) sneeze when stimulated by exposure to bright light.
Please try to mention as many nasal cavity structures as possible.
- Cochae
- Nares
- Choanae
- Paranasal sinuses
- Nasolacrimal ducts
- Nasal septum
- Hard palate
What is the pharynx?
The pharynx (throat) is the common passageway for both the respiratory and digestive system.
We can divide the pharynx into three regions. Which?
The nasopharynx, the oropharynx, and the laryngopharynx.
Where does food in the pharynx go?
To the esophagus.
Where does the air in the pharynx go?
To the Larynx.
Describe the location of the nasopharynx in medical directional terms related to
- The pharynx
- The soft palate
- The choanae
- It is the superior part of the pharynx.
- It is located superior to the soft palate
- It is located posterior to the choanae.
What is the uvula?
The uvula is the posterior extension of the soft palate.
What are the auditory tubes, and where do they open to?
The auditory tubes are the air-filled openings in which the ossicles are found. This tube ends in the nasopharynx.
What is one of the main functions of the soft palate?
It can close off the nasopharynx, which is does during swallowing.
Describe the location of the oropharynx.
It extends from the uvula to the epiglottis.
What is the lingual tonsil?
The lingual tonsil is located on the surface posterior part of the tongue.
Describe the location of the laryngopharynx.
It passes posterior to the larynx and extends from the tip of the epiglottis to the esophagus.
What is the epiglottis?
Epiglottis, en slimhinnekledd buet plate av elastisk brusk som stikker opp bak tungen. Fortil er den festet til innsiden av skjoldbrusken. På hver side har den en kraftig slimhinnefold (plica aryepiglottica). Slik dekker den reflektorisk inngangen til strupehodet når man svelger, slik at ikke mat og drikke kommer ned i luftrøret.
Describe the location of the larynx.
The larynx is located in the anterior throat and extends from the base of the tongue to the trachea.
The larynx has how many cartilages?
Nine cartilages connected to one another by muscles and ligamends.
How many of the cartilages in the larynx are paired?
Six of them form three pairs.
How many of the cartilages in the larynx are unpaired? What are their names?
Three of them are unpaired. The thyroid cartilage (Adam’s Apple), cricoid cartilage, epiglottis.
What is the norwegian translation of cartilage?
Brusk!
Two pairs of ligaments extend from the posterior surface of the thyroid cartilage to the paired cartilage. Which?
The vestibular folds (false vocal cords), and the vocal folds (true vocal cords).
What is the trachea?
It is a membranous tube attached to the larynx. It begins immediately inferior to the cricoid cartilage, and projects through the mediastinum and divides into the right and left primary bronchi. The esophagus lies immediately posterior to the trachea.
Describe the structure of the trachea.
C-shaped cartilages form the anterior and lateral sides of the trachea. The posterior wall of the trachea has no cartilage and consists of a ligamentous membrane and smooth muscle.
What muscles (no names needed) contract during the cough reflex?
The smooth muscles on the posterior wall of the trachea.
What type of tissue lines the trachea?
The trachea is lined with pseudostratified columnar epitehelium, which contains numerous cilia and goblet cells. The cilia propell mucus produced by the goblet cells, as well as foreign particles embedded in the mucus, out of the trachea, trough the larynx and into the pharynx, from which they are swallowed.
What is a goblet cell?
A goblet cell is a glandular, modified simple columnar epithelial cell whose function is to secrete gel-forming mucins, the major components of mucus.
What can happen to the trachea if subjected to constant long-term irritation by cigarette smoke?
It can cause the tracheal epithelium to change to stratified squamous epithelium, which has no cilia. Mucus is therefore not removed, and becomes a place for microorganisms to grow - respiratory infections.
What is the Heimlich maneuver?
A sudden application of pressure to the abdomen, which forces air up the trachea. The person who performs the maneuver stands behind the victim with his or her arms under the victim’s arms and this or her hands over the victim’s abdomen between the navel and the rib cage. With one hand formed into a fist, the other hand suddenly pulls the fist towards the abdomen with an accompanying upward motion.
Where are the brochi?
The brochi extend form the trachea to the lungs.
Describe the tissues that line the bronchi.
Like the trachea, the main bronchi are lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium and are supported by C-shaped pieces of cartilage.
The lungs have an unequal amount of lobes. How many do they have?
The right lung has three lobes, called superior, middle and inferior lobes. The left lung has two lobes, called the superior and inferior lobes.
Can you give names to the tracheobronchial tree from bronchus to..
Each main bronchus divides into lobar bronchi as they enter their respective lungs. The lobar bronchi in turn give rise to segmental bronchi. The bronchi continue to branch many times, finally giving rise to bronchioles. The bronchioles also subdivide numerous times to give rise to terminal bronchioles, which then subdivide into respiratory bronchioles.
Where are the alveoli?
The alveolis are small air sacs that protrude out from the alveolar ducts.
How many alveoli are there in the lungs?
300 million!
Broadly describe the regional differences in tissue wall in the lungs.
As the air passageways become smaller, the structure of their walls changes. The amount of cartilage decreases and the amount of smooth muscle increases until, at the terminal bronchioles, the walls have a prominent smooth muscle layer but no cartilage.
