Histology

Question 1

What is the function of the respiratory system?

Answer 1

Supplies oxygen to the blood for delivery to cells throughout the body
Removed carbon dioxide from the blood that has accumulated from tissues of the body

Question 2

What 3 things does the nasal cavity provide an extensive area for?

Answer 2

Warming, moistening and filtering the inspired air

Question 3

What is the vestibule?

Answer 3

The most anterior part of the nasal cavity

Question 4

What type of epithelium lines the vestibule?

Answer 4

Keratinised stratified squamous epithelium

Question 5

What lines the majority of the conducting part of the respiratory system?

Answer 5

Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells or respiratory epithelium

Question 6

What lies underneath the respiratory epithelium?

Answer 6

The lamina propria

Question 7

What is the lamina propria

Answer 7

Band of connective tissue containing seromucsus glands and a rich venous plexus which can quickly engorge with blood and block the nose

Question 8

What lines the oropharnyx and why?

Answer 8

Non-keratinised stratified squamous epithelium, because it transmits both air and food and most resist abrasion

Question 9

What are the walls of the larynx made of and how are they lined?

Answer 9

Walls are made of cartilage and muscle and they are lined with respiratory epithelium

Question 10

What covers the vocal folds and its adjacent structures?

Answer 10

Stratified squamous epithelium

Question 11

What structures mark the start and end of the trachea?

Answer 11

Continuous with the larynx and divides into the main bronchi

Question 12

Describe the structure of the trachea

Answer 12

15-20 hyaline C shaped cartilages

The open side of the C is spanned by fibroelastic tissue and smooth muscle (trachealis muscle)

Question 13

Describe the structure of the wall of the trachea

Answer 13

Respiratory epithelium, then basal lamina, a lamina propria of connective tissue with abundant elastic fibres and a submucosa of loose connective tissue that includes numerous seromucous glands.

Question 14

Describe the cartilage structure of the bronchi

Answer 14

There are irregular shaped cartilage plates

Question 15

What is the structure of the walls of the bronchi?

Answer 15

Respiratory epithelium, lamina propria containing a discontinuous layer of smooth muscle seromucous glands

Question 16

How big is the diameter of a bronchiole?

Answer 16

Less than 1mm diameter

Question 17

Do bronchioles contain cartilage and glands?

Answer 17

Lack cartilage and glands, but may contain a few goblet cells

Question 18

As you move down the respiratory tree to the smallest bronchioles, what happens to the epithelium?

Answer 18

Epithelium decreases in height from columnar to cuboidal

Question 19

What is the lamina propria of bronchioles composed of?

Answer 19

Smooth muscle and elastic and collagenous fibres

Question 20

What causes the smooth muscle of bronchioles to contract?

Answer 20

Parasympathetic system, histamine and other factors

Question 21

What are 4 roles of Clara cells?

Answer 21

Stem cells
Detoxification
Immune modulation
Produce surfactant

Question 22

What are the names of the 2 parts that the respiratory system can be divided up into?

Answer 22

The conducting portion and the respiratory portion

Question 23

Bronchiole further divided into 2 named bronchiole types, what are these?

Answer 23

Terminal bronchioles followed by respiratory bronchioles

Question 24

What is the name of the terminal portions of the bronchial tree?

Answer 24

Alveoli

Question 25

What does surfactant do?

Answer 25

Spreads over the pulmonary surface to reduce the surface tension at the air-fluid interface. Reduces the tendency for alveoli to collapse

Question 26

What do alveolar macrophages do?

Answer 26

Free cells that phagocytose inhaled particles that may have escapes entrapment by the mucous lining of the airway. They typically migrate my the bronchial tree by the action of cilia, to the pharnyx where they are swallowed.