Apparato Respiratorio

Question 1

What is the respiratory system?

Answer 1

The respiratory system is the network of organs and tissues that help you breathe. It includes your airways, lungs, blood vessels and also the muscles that power your lungs. These parts work together to move oxygen throughout the body and clean out waste gases like carbon dioxide.

Question 2

What is the e nose and the nasal cavity?

Answer 2

The nose is an olfactory and respiratory organ. It consists of nasal skeleton, which houses the nasal cavity. The nasal cavity has four functions:
- warms and humidifies the inspired air
- Removes and traps pathogens and particulate matter from the inspired air.
- Responsible for sense of smell
- Drains and clears the paranasal sinuses and lacrimal ducts.

Question 3

What are the three regions of the nasal cavity?

Answer 3

Vestibule
Respiratory region
Olfactory region

Question 4

What are the four pathways for air to flow?

Answer 4

They project into the nasal cavity, creating four pathways for the air to flow. These pathways are called meatuses:

• Inferior meatus – between the inferior concha and floor of the nasal cavity.
• Middle meatus – between the inferior and middle concha.
• Superior meatus – between the middle and superior concha.
• Spheno-ethmoidal recess – superiorly and posteriorly to the superior concha.

Question 5

What is the function of the conchae?

Answer 5

The function of the conchae is to increase the surface area of the nasal cavity – this increases the amount of inspired air that can come into contact with the cavity walls. They also disrupt the fast, laminar flow of the air, making it slow and turbulent. The air spends longer in the nasal cavity, so that it can be humidified.

Question 6

What are the paranasal sinuses and their functions?

Answer 6

One of many small hollow spaces in the bones around the nose. Paranasal sinuses are named after the bones that contain them: frontal (the lower forehead), maxillary (cheekbones), ethmoid (beside the upper nose), and sphenoid (behind the nose).
The main function of paranasal sinuses is to humidify and heat inhaled air.

Question 7

What is pharynx and it’s divisions?

Answer 7

The pharynx is a muscular tube that connects the oral and nasal cavity to the larynx and oesophagus.
It begins at the base of the skull and ends at the inferior border of the cricoid cartilage (C6).
The pharynx is comprised of three parts:
- Nasopharynx
- Oropharynx
- Laryngopharynx.

Question 8

Where is the nasopharynx found?

Answer 8

The nasopharynx is found between the base of the skull and the soft palate. It is continuous with the nasal cavity.

Question 9

What kind of epithelium is found in the nasopharynx?

Answer 9

In the nasopharynx there is a respiratory epithelium, ciliated pseudostratified columnar with goblet cells.

Question 10

What are tonsils?

Answer 10

Tonsils are small, round pieces of tissue located in the back of the mouth on both sides of the throat. Tonsils fight infection and can become enlarged when they get infected.

Question 11

Where is the adenoid tonsils found?

Answer 11

The posterosuperior nasopharynx contains the adenoid tonsils, which enlarge between 3-8 years of age and then regress. So it is a clump of tissue located behind the nasal cavity above the roof of the mouth

Question 12

Where is the oropharynx located?

Answer 12

The oropharynx is the middle part of the pharynx, located between the soft palate and the superior border of the epiglottis.

Question 13

What structures can be found in the oropharynx?

Answer 13

It contains the following structures:
• Posterior one-third of the tongue.
• Lingual tonsils – lymphoid tissue at the base of the tongue.
• Palatine tonsils – lymphoid tissue located in the tonsillar fossa (between the palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal arches of the oral cavity).
• Superior constrictor muscle

Question 14

What is the Waldeyer’s ring?

Answer 14

Waldeyer’s ring is the ring of lymphoid tissue in the nasopharynx and oropharynx formed by the paired palatine tonsils, tubal tonsils, the adenoid tonsils and lingual tonsil.

Question 15

Where is the laryngopharynx?

Answer 15

the laryngopharynx is located between the superior border of the epiglottis and inferior border of the cricoid cartilage (C6). It is continuous inferiorly with the oesophagus.

Question 16

What is the glottis?

Answer 16

Glottis is referred to the vocal apparatus of the larynx, which consists of the true folds (vocal cords)

Question 17

What role those the glottis?

Answer 17

The glottis plays a role in respiration because it creates a part way for air to enter and exit the trachea.
It is also plays a important role in phonation—>the production of sound through the vibration of the vocal cord.

Question 18

Describe the vocal folds?

Answer 18

The vocal folds or vocal cords are two pairs of flexible bands of tissue in the larynx that vibrate to produce sound.
Each folds extends from the back of the thyroid cartilage to the front of the arytenoid cartilage.
Unlike the rest of the larynx, the surface of the vocal folds are covered by a protective layer of stratified squamous epithelium.

Question 19

Describe the vestibular folds?

Answer 19

Vestibular folds or false vocal folds are located above the true vocal folds and separated from them by the laryngeal ventricle.
Each vestibular fold is formed by a thick layer of mucose (respiratory) membrane .
They are not directly involved in the production of sound; instead, they lubricate the vocal folds with mucose and helps prevent food from entering the lower respiratory tract organs.

Question 20

How many are the laryngeal cartilages?

Answer 20

There are 9 laryngeal cartilages, 3 unpaired and 6 paired, and the form the the laryngeal skeleton, which provides rigidity and stability.

Question 21

What are the unpaired laryngeal cartilages?

Answer 21

The three unpaired cartilages are the
- epiglottis is a leaf shaped plate of elastic cartilage which marks the entrance to the larynx. Its ‘stalk’ is attached to the back of the anterior aspect of the thyroid cartilage. During swallowing, the epiglottis flattens and moves posteriorly to close off the larynx and prevent aspiration.
- thyroid: is composed of two sheets (laminae), which join anteriorly to form the laryngeal prominence (Adam’s apple).
- cricoid cartilages is the only complete circle of cartilage in the larynx or trachea and it consists of a broad sheet posteriorly and a much narrower arch anteriorly. articulates with the paired arytenoid cartilages posteriorly, as well as providing an attachment for the inferior horns of the thyroid cartilage.

Question 22

What are the paired laryngeal cartilages?

Answer 22

There are three paired cartilages
– arytenoid: are pyramidal shaped structures that sit on the cricoid cartilage.
- corniculate: are minor cartilaginous structures. They articulate with the apices of the arytenoid cartilages.
- cuneiform: are located within the aryepiglottic folds. They have no direct attachment, but act to strengthen the folds.

Question 23

What makes up the tracheobronchial tree?

Answer 23

The trachea, bronchi and bronchioles form the tracheobronchial tree – a system of airways that allow passage of air into the lungs, where gas exchange occurs. These airways are located in the neck and thorax

Question 24

What is trachea?

Answer 24

The trachea, or also called windpipe, is composed of about 20 rings of tough cartilage. The back part of each ring is made of muscle and connective tissue. The trachea begins just under the larynx (voice box) and runs down behind the breastbone (sternum). It forms the trunk of the tracheobronchial tree, or pulmonary conducting zone. The trachea extends between the larynx and thorax, consisting of two parts; cervical and thoracic. It ends at the level of the sternal angle (T5) where it divides into two main bronchi, one for each lung. Each main bronchus branches out into smaller intrapulmonary bronchi that supply air to the various pulmonary lobes and segments.

Question 25

What is the function of the pulmonary fissures

Answer 25

Pulmonary fissures divide the lungs in lobes: the left lung has two lobes with one fissure; the right lung has three loves with two fissures.

Question 26

Where can you find the lungs?

Answer 26

In the pleurae cavity

Question 27

What are alveoli?

Answer 27

Alveoli are microscopic balloon-shaped structures located at the end of the respiratory tree. They expand during inhalation, taking in oxygen, and shrink during exhalation, expelling carbon dioxide. These tiny air sacs are the site where gas exchange between inspired air and the blood takes place.