Defenses Of Respiratory System

Question 1

How is oxygen transported in smaller airways?

Answer 1

Diffusion (concentration gradient from high to low)

Question 2

The average adult inhales how much air per day?

Answer 2

About 10,000 L

Question 3

What kinds of things can we inhale?

Answer 3

Inert dust, particulate matter, gases, infectious agents

Question 4

Why does the respiratory system have defense mechanisms?

Answer 4

Protect tracheobronchial tree and alveoli
Prevent accumulation of secretions
Repair processes

Question 5

What is another name for alveolar macrophages?

Answer 5

Dust cells

Question 6

Chronic alcohol is associated with an increased incidence of what kind of infections?

Answer 6

Bacterial

Question 7

Cigarette smoke and air pollutants are associated with an increased incidence of what conditions?

Answer 7

Chronic bronchitis and emphysema

Question 8

Occupational irritants are associated with what conditions?

Answer 8

Hyperactive airways and increased incidence of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis

Question 9

What does it mean when we say that air is conditioned by the upper respiratory tract?

Answer 9

It is warmed, humidified, and filtered

Question 10

What is used to filter out large particles in the upper respiratory system?

Answer 10

Vibrissae (long nasal hairs)

Question 11

What functions in trapping particles in the upper respiratory tract and moistening the air?

Answer 11

Mucous coating

Question 12

What functions to act as radiators to warm air due to their high vascularization?

Answer 12

Nasal concha (aka nasal turbinates)

Question 13

What effect does breathing through the mouth have on the upper respiratory tract?

Answer 13

Dries it out

Question 14

What cranial nerve is associated with the cough reflex?

Answer 14

Vagus

Question 15

Which muscles are involved with the coughing reflex?

Answer 15

Muscles of expiration

Question 16

How does the coughing reflex work to clear larger airways?

Answer 16

Epiglottis and vocal cords open widely at speeds between 75 and 100 mph

Question 17

Why is coughing ineffective at clearly small airways?

Answer 17

Due to the large total cross-sectional area, cannot generate enough velocity

Question 18

What cranial nerve is associated with the sneezing reflex?

Answer 18

Trigeminal

Question 19

The sneeze reflex is similar to the cough reflex but what makes it different?

Answer 19

Uvula is depressed so large amounts of air pass rapidly through nose to clear nasal passages

Question 20

What produces mucus in the respiratory tract?

Answer 20

Goblet cells and small submucosal glands

Question 21

Where do we see ciliated epithelium in the respiratory tract?

Answer 21

Lining it all the way down to the terminal bronchioles

Question 22

What is the function of the respiratory tract’s ciliated epithelium?

Answer 22

Move mucus to the pharynx

Question 23

How are organisms destroyed that are trapped in mucus of the respiratory tract?

Answer 23

Destroyed by the acid environment of the stomach once mucus is swallowed

Question 24

The mucociliary elevator/escalator is effective in what airways?

Answer 24

Smaller ones

Question 25

What is the function of dust cells?

Answer 25

Phagocytize intraluminal particles in distal air spaces

Question 26

What is the group of small proteins found in the blood and synthesized in the liver that complements the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear pathogens from an organism?

Answer 26

Complement system

Question 27

Which antibodies are associated with the lower respiratory tract?

Answer 27

IgG

Question 28

Which antibodies dominate in the upper respiratory tract?

Answer 28

IgA

Question 29

Which antibody is predominantly a mucosal antibody?

Answer 29

IgE

Question 30

How do macrophages promote a more vigorous/widespread immune response?

Answer 30

Presentation of “pieces” of organisms to other effector cells through a series of interactions involving cytokines

Question 31

Antibodies and accessory processes like Th2 activation, cytokine production, germinal center formation, isotype switching, affinity maturation, and memory cell generation are associated with what type of immune response?

Answer 31

Humoral (B-cell mediated)