Anatomy Flashcards
What structure does the upper respiratory tract consist of?
nasal cavities, oral cavity, pharynx and larynx
what structures does the lower respiratory tract consist of?
trachea, right and left main bronchus, lobar bronchi, segmental bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli
what structures from the lower respiratory tract are located in the lungs?
lobar bronchi, segmental bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli
what does the larynx become at C6?
the trachea
what splits the URT and LRT
C6 vertebra
how many lobes are there in the lungs?
5, 2 in left lung (upper and lower) and 3 in the right lung (upper, middle and lower)
how many segments are there in each lung
10 in each
how many segmental bronchi are there
10 in each lung
what’s the space between each lung called
fissure
what is the route air takes in normal breathing
air comes in through the nose/mouth through the naval cavities/oral cavity and then passes through the pharynx, the larynx, then once at the C6 vertebra it goes into the LRT. Air passes through the trachea, the right and left main bronchi, the lobar bronchi, bronchioles and then the alveoli.
what are the three parts of the pharynx
the nasal pharynx (the most superior part and is located behind the nose), the oropharynx (middle part and located behind the oral cavity) and the laryngopharynx or hypo pharynx which is located behind the larynx (the voice box).
why can surgeons just remove a segment of the lung instead of a lobe or the entire thing?
because each lobe and bronchopulmonary segment has its own blood supply, air supply, lymphatic drainage and nerve supply
what does the inside of the bronchial tree consist of
‘respiratory’ epithelium. It contains mucous glands which secrete mucous onto the epithelial cells. And there’s cilia which beat to sweep the mucous (plus any foreign bodies stuck in the mucous)superiorly towards the pharynx to thence swallowed. This is the mucociliary escalator.
what can interfere with the normal beating of the cilia?
cooling/drying of the mucosa or toxins in cigarette smoke
what occurs if the normal beating of the cilia is interfered?
it can result in a cough to try expel the mucous
what is the role of hyaline cartilage?
it supports the walls of the trachea and all the bronchi, assisting with maintaining the patency of the airways (holding them up).
which parts of the LRT do not contain cartilage
the walls of the most distal bronchioles and the walls of the alveoli
why must alveoli have neither cartilage nor smooth muscle in their walls
as this would impact on diffusion , the walls need to be extremely thin
how many ribs are there on each side?
12 on each
name the ribs
1-7 true, 8-10 false, 11 and 12 floating
what is the ribcage made up of?
sternum, xiphisternum, manubrium, costal margin, costal angle, sternal angle, jugular notch
what joint looks like a pump handle in the thorax and is located inferiorly to the sternum
costovertebral joints
what joints looks like a bucket handle and is located to the left and right of sternum
sternocostal and costovertebral joints
where is the carina located
under junction of manubrium sterni (manubrium of the sternum) and right intercostal cartilage.
what is the carina
ridge of cartilage in the trachea that occurs between the division of the two main bronchi.
average length of trachea
10-12cm
where is the trachea located in comparison to the midline
slightly to the right of midline
why is inhaled material more likely to go into the right lung
because the right bronchi is more upright
what do the first 7 divisions between the trachea and alveoli consist of
walls consist of hyaline cartilage, an epithelial lining with Cilia and goblet cells, submucosal mucus secreting glands and endocrine glands
what do the next 16-18 divisions after the first 7 divisions between the trachea and alveoli consist of
no cartilage and a muscular layer that progressively becomes thinner, a single layer of ciliated cells but very few goblet cells, granulated Clara (club) cells that produce a surfactant like substance
what are alveoli made up of
type I and II pneumocytes
describe type I pneumocytes
alveoli consist mainly of type I pneumocytes, they are held together by tight junctions which prevent too much fluid movement and have thing cytoplasm which allows gas exchange
describe type II pneumocytes
type I pneumocytes are derived from type II, type II are more numerous than type I but take up more of the epithelial lining, they contain lamella vacuoles which are a source of surfactant.
what’s present in alveoli which assists in defending the lung
alveolar macrophages
names of the fissures on right lung
horizontal and oblique fissures
When does the pharynx become the esophagus?
C6
What are the requirements of the respiratory system to ensure enough CO2 and O2 can diffuse between alveolus and blood at the pulmonary capillary beds?
sufficient functioning lung tissue, sufficient O2 in the air we breathe in, No CO2 in the air we breathe in, minimal thickness of the alveoli to facilitate gas diffusion
What are dangers that may prevent air moving freely in and out lungs?
respiratory tract may become narrowed or foreign bodies inhaled into the respiratory tract
how many nasal cavities are there in the skull?
two
what keeps the upper respiratory tract open?
the ‘skeleton’ of the larynx and the 2 nasal cavities
what does the ‘skeleton’ of the larynx consist of?
the epiglottis, the thyroid cartilage, the cricoid cartilage, hyoid bone, trachea and the 2 arytenoid cartilages
what are the functions od the larynx?
cartilages help maintain patency of the upper respiratory tract, helps prevent the entry of foreign bodies into the lower respiratory tract, produces sounds
which part of the larynx do foreign bodies tend to block and why?
the rima glottidis as it is the narrowest part
How do the vocal cords prevent choking?
the rima glottidis is narrow, preventing foreign bodies from being inhlaed into the trachea, a cough reflex is then stimulated to expel foreign body via the pharynx and oral cavity
how does phonation (production of sound) occur?
air is expired across the vocal cords and the cords vibrate to produce sound
How does cooling and drying out the respiratory tract affect the mucociliary escalator?
it damages it and predisposes it to infection
