Chapter 6: Alveolar Ducts - Clinical Aspects Flashcards
What are the general functions of alveolar ducts?
Gas exchange
What are the general functions of alveolar sacs?
Gas exchange
What are the general functions of alveoli?
Gas Exchange (lol)
What is the epithelium of Alveolar Cell Type I (Type I Pneumocyte)? General function?
Squamous with zonula occludens between cells
What alveolar cell type makes up the majority of the alveolar surface?
Type I
What is the epithelium of Alveolar Cell Type II (Type II Pneumocyte)? Where is type II found?
Cuboidal cells
Found on sides between alveoli
What are the 3 general functions of Type II Pneumocytes?
- Produce pulmonary surfactant
- Produce lysozymes
- Stem cell for Alveolar Type I/II
What is a dust cell?
An alveolar macrophage that develops from monocytes
What are the general functions of a dust cell?
Clean septal wall using phagocytosis
Produce lysozyme
What do you call the region between two alveoli?
Interalveolar Septum
What parts can we find in the interalveolar septum?
Alveolar type I & II cells Continuous capillaries Fibroblasts Basal Lamina Small amounts of CT with many elastic fibers
What is the blood-gas barrier?
Region where O2/CO2 pass between the air and the blood
What are the 4 parts of the blood-gas barrier in order from air to blood? (note: she will ask the exact order so know that shit)
- Pulmonary surfactant (begins with alveoli)
- Alveolar type I cell
- Fused basal lamina: shared between alveolar type I cell & endothelial cell of capillary
- Endothelial cell of capillary
What is the function of the blood-gas barrier?
Provides the most efficient gas exchange (it is important to keep the distance small)
It is the minimum diffusion distance/barrier that allows for the most efficient gas exchange
Which ganglion provides fibers to relax bronchial smooth muscle?
Thoracic sympathetic chain ganglion - results in bronchidilation.