Airway function Flashcards
- How do the airways divide into smaller airways?
Trachea divides in two-dichrotomous branching. As they branch they get smaller and narrower. Goes from primary bronchi to secondary (lobar), then teriary (segmental). Rigth primary bronchi is wider, shorter and goes down more
- Describe the arrangement of cartilage rings in the airways.
Held open by cartilage rings-shaped in C. Trachea, oesophagus, bronchi. C shape allows stretching allowing food to go down. Also slightly offset from one another to allow greater tensile strength (at an angle)
- Where are submucosal glands found and what are their functions?
Found underneath the epithelial layer, usually nest within the smooth muscle. Made of a lot of goblet cells nested in a gland. Mucus is there to trap microbes and toxin in airway, and its constantly pushed out by cilae. Nearly 10ml mucus produced per day.
- Describe the tissue organisation of airways
Airway lumen, then epithelial layer of ciliated cells and goblet cells with mucus. Deeper in, you have submucosal glands within a smooth muscle cell layer. Outside of that you get cartilage
- Describe the secretion of mucus by goblet cells.
Mucin granules come to the apical surface and fuses with it-little pores form allowing water in. This makes mucin expand rapidely, and as pore opens more the mucus pops out-expands hundreds of time witrh water
- Describe the structure of submucosal gland.
Linked to epithelia by ciliated duct, then collecting duct. Cells are mixes of functional units (Acinii)-serous and mucous. Serous are peripheral to mucus acini. Produce watery mucus and its flushed through the duct into airway. Also secretes water, lysosymes
- Describe the ultrastructure of a cilium.
9+2 pattern – 9 outside and 2 inside. Ciliae are transmembrane with hooks at the end. The rod turns to move-need lot of energy. About 200 per cell
- What is the pattern of beating of cilia?
Metachronal rhythm-one field beats and the next one then catches up, then the next etc. As its slightly delayed, mucus is moved along
- State some of the regulatory and inflammatory mediators produced by airway epithelial cells.
NO, CO, Arachnoidic acid metabolites (prostaglandins), chemokines, cytokines, proteases. Role of epithalia, secretion of mucsin, movement of mucus, physical barrier, and those mediators
- In which cells of the airway do you find a high concentration of Nitric Oxide Synthase?
Epithalia has a lot of NOS and maybe NO-which might have a role in increasing speed of beating
- What inflammatory mediators can be produced by smooth muscle cells?
SMC role-structure, tone and secretion
Can secrete medators, cytokines and chemokines. Mostly NOS upregulation
- How does blood return to the heart from the tracheal circulation?
As normal through systemic veins
- How does blood return to the heart from the bronchial circulation?
Returns to blood to both sides of the heart through systemic AND pulmonary veins
- What is the function of the tracheo-bronchial circulation?
One of best perfused tissue-many capillaries. Helps in gas exchange, warming and humidifcation of air
Clears mediators and inhaled drugs, and good supply of Immune cells and protein plasma
- Explain the process of plasma exudation in the airways.
In post capillary venules-the endothelial cells can contract-creates gaps and openings, leading to plasma leakage. This is a normal process, and mediated by sensory nerves, histamines and other mediators. In disease like asthma, this can be excessive, producing excess histamine and sensory nerve activatoon