Ch. 23 - The Respiratory System Flashcards
What is respiration?
exchange of gasses between atmosphere, blood, and cells
What are the 3 steps that respiration requires?
- pulmonary ventilation (breathing; movement of gases in and out of lungs)
- pulmonary respiration (gas exchange between lung alveoli and blood)
- tissue respiration (bt blood and cells)
What does the upper respiratory system comprise of?
nose, pharynx, associated structures
What does the lower respiratory system comprise of?
larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs
What are the functional divisions of the resp system?
conducting portion (~150 mL) and respiratory portion (~5-6 L)
What is the conducting portion and what does it comprise of?
- filter and moisten air and conduct into lungs
- nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, terminal bronchioles
What is the respiratory portion and what does it comprise of?
- tissue w/i lungs where gas exchange occurs
- resp bronchioles, alveolar ducts, alveolar sacs, alveoli
RECALL: how is the nasal cavity divided? What is this division composed of?
nasal septum: septal cavity, vomer, perpendicular plate of ethmoid bone
What is the anterior portion inside the nostrils called?
nasal vestibules
How does the nasal cavity communicate with the pharynx?
posteriorly through 2 openings called internal nares
Which ducts open into the internal nose?
paranasal sinuses and nasolacrimal ducts
What are the functions of the nose?
- warm, moisten, filter air
- olfaction
- modify speech
How does air pass through the nostrils?
through vestibule lined with coarse hairs that filter dust particles
What is the function of the conchae?
- subdivide each side of nasal cavity into series of passages –> sup, middle, inf meatuses
- cause air to swirl for increased contact w mucous membrane that lines cavity and conchae
What is the pharynx composed of and where is it located? (throat)
- tube of sk muscles lined w mucous membranes
- internal nares and extends to cricoid cartilage of larumx
What are the 3 regions of the pharynx and where are they each locate?
- nasopharynx: internal nares to soft palate
- oropharynx: soft palate to hyoid
- laryngopharynx: hyoid to esophagus
What is the function of the pharynx?
- houses tonsils
- passageway for air and food
- resonating chamber for speech
What is the larynx composed of and where is it located? (voicebox) What does it connect?
- extrinsic and intrinsic muscles & thyrohyoid membrane
- anterior to esophagus (C4-C6)
- connects laryngopharynx to trachea
What are the 3 main cartilage pieces in the larynx?
- thyroid C (Adam’s apple)
- cricoid C (ring at top of trachea)
- epiglottis (elastic C; covers glottis during swallowing)
What are the 2 pairs of folds the mucous membrane of the larynx forms?
- vestibular folds (false vocal cords)
2. vocal folds (true vocal cords)
What is the function of vestibular folds?
- holding breath against pressure in thoracic cavity
* do not produce sound
What are vocal folds attached to?
ligaments that are attached to muscles responsible for speech/sounds
How do vocal cords produce speech and sound?
- muscles contract and stretch the vocal folds during speech
- folds vibrate when air is directed against them and produce sounds
What is the trachea composed of and where is it located?
- smooth muscle and C-shaped rings of C (rings keep airway open!)
- lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium
- extend from larynx to primary bronchi
What is the function of cilia in the trachea?
sweep mucus/debris away from lungs and back to throat to be swallowed
List the airway branchings in the conducting zone (from trachea)
- main bronchi (primary)
- lobar bronchi (secondary)
- segmental bronchi (tertiary)
- bronchioles
- terminal bronchioles
List the airway branching in the respiratory zone (from terminal bronchioles)
- respiratory bronchioles
- alveolar ducts
- alveolar sacs
Describe briefly the change in epithelium from the main bronchi to the alveolar sacs
- pseudostratified ciliated columnar w/ goblet cells in main bronchi
- simple non-ciliated cuboidal w/o goblet cells in terminal bronchioles
- simple squamous epithelium line alveolar sacs
What separates each lung?
mediastinum
What encloses each lung?
pleural (serous) membrane
- visceral pleura covers lung
- parietal pleura lines wall of thoracic cavity
- pleural cavity (between layers) contains pleural fluid
What is the function of the pleural cavity?
- fluid lubricates to prevent friction
- provides surface tension to help breathing
What is pleuritis?
inflammation of pleura
- causes pain due to friction between membranes
What is pleural effusion?
when fluid accumulates in pleural cavity
- impairs breathing bc lungs cannot inflate properly
What are alveoli composed of? (small air sacs)
- type I alveolar cells
2. type II alveolar cells
How do the 2 types of alveolar cells differ?
- type I form simple squamous epithelium
- type II secrete alveolar fluid and contain surfactant (decreases surface tension and allows ease of alveolar inflation)
What covers each alveolus?
blood capillaries for gas exchange