Chapter 15: Respiratory System Flashcards
What is the function of the alveoli?
To distribute air close enough to blood for a gas exchange to take place between air and blood.
By what passive transport process does the exchange of gases take place in the respiratory system?
By Diffusion (page. 46 in the book)
What is Respiratory Mucosa?
The membrane that lines most of the air distribution tubes in the system.
How is air purified in the respiratory system before reaching the lungs?
Air is purified when contaminants such as dust, pollen, and smoke particles stick to the layer of protective mucus called a mucus blanket and become trapped.
Define ciliary escalator.
These motile cilia have a continual, rhythmic beating motion which pushes secretions from the peripheral to the central airways via the trachea to the throat where they are swallowed or expectorated
What is the function of the Conchae (aka Turbinates)?
Nasal conchae, also called Turbinate, or Turbinal, any of several thin, scroll-shaped bony elements forming the upper chambers of the nasal cavities. They increase the surface area of these cavities, thus providing for rapid warming and humidification of air as it passes to the lungs.
What are the two kinds of tonsils located in the oropharynx?
Lingual and Palatine Tonsils
What kind of tonsils are located in the nasopharynx?
The Pharyngeal Tonsils
What is the function of the epiglottis?
The epiglottis acts like a trapdoor, closing off the larynx during swallowing and preventing food and liquids from entering the trachea.
What keeps the trachea from collapsing?
Its framework is made of an almost noncollapsible material—15 or 20 C-shaped rings of cartilage placed one above the other with only a little soft tissue between them.
What are secondary bronchi?
The primary bronchi branch off into secondary bronchi in each lung. The bronchi in turn branch off into the bronchioles.
What is the Respiratory Membrane?
The membrane separating air within the alveoli from the blood within pulmonary capillaries. It consists of the alveolar wall, the capillary wall, and their basement membranes. The respiratory membrane is very thin (less than 0.5 mm).
What is the function of surfactant?
Resting on the surface of the respiratory membrane, surfactant helps reduce surface tension of the watery mucus lining the alveoli—keeping the alveoli from collapsing as air moves in and out during respiration.
How many lobes are in the right lung vs. the left lung?
The right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two.
Where is the apex of the lung located?
The apex is the narrow, superior portion of each lung, up under the collarbone.
Where is the base of the lung?
The base is the broad, inferior portion resting on the diaphragm.
What is the parietal pleura?
It adheres to the wall of the thoracic cavity surrounding each lung.
What is the visceral pleura?
It adheres directly to each lung, and the interpleural space lies between the two pleural membranes.
Define pneumothorax?
It’s the presence of air in the intrapleural space on one side of the chest. The additional air increases the pressure on the lung on that side and causes it to collapse.
What is the technical definition of respiration?
Respiration means exchange of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) between a living organism and its environment.
Define External Respiration.
Breathing, or pulmonary ventilation, is the process that moves air into and out of the lungs. It makes possible the exchange of gases between air in the lungs and in the blood.
Define Internal Respiration.
It’s the exchange of gases that occurs between the blood and the cells of the systemic tissues of the body.
What is the function of the phrenic nerve?
It stimulates the diaphragm to contract allowing us to breathe.
What are the Inspiratory Muscles?
The Diaphragm and the external intercostal muscles
