Histology of the Lower Respiratory Tract Flashcards

1
Q

What are the section of upper respiratory tract?

A

Nasal cavity

Paranasal cavity

Sinuses

Nasopharynx and oropharynx

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the parts of the lower respiratory tract?

A

Larynx

Trachea

Brochi

Bronchioles

Alveoli

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the anatomical divisions of the respiratory tract?

A

Upper and lower respiratory tract

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the functional divisions of the respiratory tract?

A

The conducting zone (movement of air from outside to the end of the bronchial tree

Respiratory zone (gas diffusion areas in respiratory bronchioles and alveoli)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Where does gas exchange occur in the respiratory tract?

A

In the lower bronchioles and the alveoli

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are the 3 main functions of the respiratory functions?

A

Air conduction

Air filtration and conditioning (fibrasae in the nasal cavity trap foreign bodies)

Gas exchange (respiration)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Where is the trachea located?

A

Trachea extends from larynx to the level of the sternal angle (T4/5) where it divides into 2 primary bronchi.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is more anterior the oesophagus or the trachea?

A

The trachea

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How many cartilage rings does the trachea have?

A

16 - 20 C-shaped rings

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What bridges the ends of the cartilaginous rings of the trachea?

A

The trachealis muscle which are joined vertically by the annular ligamnets

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What structure joins the trachealis muscles to each other vertically?

A

Annular ligament

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the layers that surround the trachea?

A

Lumen -> Mucosa -> Submucosa -> Cartilage and muscularis -> Adventitia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What makes up the mucosa?

A

2 layers;

Respiratory epithelium containing pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium and numerous goblet cells which produce mucous. (they are closest to inner surface of the trachea)

Lamina propria containing loose connective tissue with lots of elastic fibers and diffuse nodular lymphatic extending from lamina propria to submucosa

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Which tissues have respiratory epithelium?

A

nasal cavity, larynx, trachea, and bronchi

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What kind of tissue is present in the submucosa?

A

Loose connective tissue which is similar to that of the lamina propria and different to the connective tissue in digestive tract.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What kind of tissue layer is present in respiratory tract and GI tract but absent in urinary tract?

A

Submucosa

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What lines the lamina propria of the mucosa?

A

Loose connective tissue with lots of elastic fibers.

Diffuse and nodular lymphatic extending from lamina propria to the submucosa

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What makes up the submucosa layer?

A

Relatively loose connective tissue and numerous submucosal glands

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What makes up the cartilage and smooth muscle?

A

C-shaped hyaline cartilage rings keep tracheal lumen open

Posterior ends of the cartilage ring connected by trachealis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What kind of cartilage forms the cartilage rings?

A

Hyaline cartilage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What makes up the adventitia?

A

Dense irregular connective tissue which merges with adventitia of other organs such as the oesophagus

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What part of the trachea meets the oesophagus?

A

The trachealis side

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What are the functions of the trachealis muscle?

A

2 important functions:

During swallowing the trachealis relaxes to facilitate the passage of food and bulging of oesophagus into the lumen of the trachea.

Trachealis muscle is also important for coughing the trachea narrows the lumen to allow air to be expelled with more force.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What structures are contained within the submucosa of the trachea?

A

The ducts and the acini (mucous and serous)

Mucous glands + acini are more common than the serous glands + acini

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What cells does the epithelium of the trachea contain?

A

Ciliated columnar cells (oval shaped nuclei and are tall cells with cilia)

Goblet cells (They produce mucous and are tall)

Basal cells (cuboidal cells sitting on basement membrane of epithelium)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What gives hyaline cartilage its glassy appearance?

A

Its matrix is homogenous with a special type 2 collagen fiber

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Where is cartilage produced?

A

In the lacuna of the cartilage cells. In a rift between chrondrocytes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What kind of cells are found in the respiratory mucosa?

A

Ciliated columnar cells (most abundant cells, columnar shaped with oval nucleus each has up to 300 cilia on its surface)

Goblet cells (They are numerous throughout respiratory tract but absent from the bronchioles and alveoli and secrete mucus that is expelled by cilia towards the pharynx)

Basal cells (progenitor cells)

Clara cells (exocrine bronchilar cells)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What do cilia do?

A

Expel debris opposite to air in a synchronous manner.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What occurs if cilia activity is ruined?

A

Dirt can accumulate inside lungs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What does mucus produced by goblet cells do in the respiratory tract?

A

It filters small dust particles that escape thick hairs in nasal cavity.

Conditioning and moistening of air in lungs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What do basal cells of the respiratory tract do?

A

They are stem cells that produce other epithelial cells

33
Q

What do Clara cells do?

A

Non-ciliated cells with dome-shaped apical surface that produce surfactant-like substances secrete antimicrobial peptides

34
Q

Where are clara cells located?

A

Bronchioles, they are absent from trachea and bronchi

35
Q

What happens to people that smoke?

A

The cilia start to lose synchronous beating movement due to toxins in cigarette smoke and the mucous removal is reduced and accumulated in the lower respiratory tract

Squamous metaplasia (transformation of pseudostratified columnar epithelium to pseudostratified squamous epithelium)

36
Q

What are the types of bronchi?

A

Primary bronchi (nearly same structure as trachea and same layers with C shaped cartilage ring)

Secondary/lobar bronchi have narrower lumen and same epithelial layer

37
Q

How is cartilage different in the primary bronchi to the cartilage in the trachea?

A

They have smooth muscle between lamina propria and submucosa

They have discontinuous cartilage plates.

38
Q

How are tertiary/segmental bronchi different to secondary and primary bronchi?

A

Epithelium becomes less stratified with less goblet cells.

Smooth muscles become prominent between lamina propria and submucosa.

Submucosa is reduced in amount with less mucous glands

Few isolated cartilage plates

39
Q

What layers do bronchi have?

A

Lumen

mucosa

muscularis (continuous smooth muscle)

submucosa which has projections into the adventitia

Adventitia

40
Q

How do serous acini stain on histology slides?

A

They are acidophilic so they stain purple

41
Q

What is the difference between bronchi and bronchioles?

A

Bronchioles have a diameter of 1mm or less (branch of segmental bronchi)

Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium in bronchi becomes simple ciliated columnar in the terminal bronchioles or simple cuboidal epithelium in the respiratory bronchioles.

No goblet cells in bronchioles except in smokers

Clara cells increase in numbers as ciliated cells decrease along the length of the bronchiole

No subepithelial mucous glands in the bronchioles

No hyaline cartilage in the wall of the bronchioles

42
Q

Bronchiole and lung parenchyma it supplies is a ____?

A

Pulmonary Lobule

43
Q

Important slide for revision of this lecture is the slide showing the changes from conducting to respiratory part of respiratory system with all the cellular changes that take place

A

If short on revision time check this slide out

44
Q

What happens to the epithelial layer as we progress through the respiratory tract?

A

The large bronchioles initially have pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium that gradually transofrms into a simple ciliated columnar epitheliumand then into a simple cuboidal epithelium.

45
Q

What layers do bronchioles have?

A

Lumen

Mucosa

Muscularis

Adventitia

46
Q

Which cells are absent and which are present in epithelium of bronchioles?

A

No goblet cells but Clara cells are present in the mucosa of bronchioles.

47
Q

How are layers of the bronchioles different to the

A

Walls are thinner and have less layers.

48
Q

What does the muscularis layer of the bronchioles have?

A

Muscularis layer is a continuous thick layer of smooth muscle (in bronchioles these are super thick relative to their thickness)

49
Q

Do bronchioles have any mucous glands?

A

No

50
Q

Do bronchioles have cartilage plates?

A

No

51
Q

How are terminal bronchioles different to the respiratory bronchiles?

A

They have thicker wall

52
Q

What is the role of terminal bronchioles?

A

They are important for conduction of air without influencing respiration

53
Q

What is the role of respiratory bronchioles?

A

They are the transitional zone between conduction and gas exchange.

Same structure as terminal bronchioles except that the lung epithelium becomes simple cuboidal epithelium instead of ciliated simple columnar epithelium.

The number of clara cells increases distally.

54
Q

Does alveolar duct possess a wall?

A

No

55
Q

What are the 3 parts of the respiratory zone of the lungs?

A

Respiratory bronchioles (give off alveoli) and alveolar ducts

Alveolar ducts (do not have a wall of their own and give off alveoli only)

Alveolar sacs are spaces surrounded by clusters of alveoli the surrounding alveoli open into these spaces

56
Q

Where are alveoli located?

A

At terminal end of bronchial tree and forms lung parenchyma

57
Q

What do alveoli look like under light microscopy?

A

Honeycomb like

58
Q

How many alveoli does the normal lung have?

A

200mil

59
Q

What type of epithelium lines alveoli?

A

Simple squamous epithelium (type I pneumocytes)

60
Q

What does lamina propria of alveoli look like?

A

Extremely thin with a network of elastic and reticular fibers

61
Q

What separates alveolii from each other?

A

Interalveolar septum. It is also the blood-air barrier.

62
Q

What structures line the intralveolar septa?

A

Blood vessels

63
Q

What pores are contained within the alveolus?

A

pores of Kohn?

64
Q

What are type II pneumocytes?

A

Cuboidal cells that produce surfactant as well as being the site of gas exchange

65
Q

What white blood cells are commonly found on alveolar surface and what is their cytoplasm like?

A

Macrophages (alveolar) They have darker cytoplasm

66
Q

What is the blood air barrier?

A

The barrier between air and the alveolar blood vessels

67
Q

What does the blood-air barrier consist of?

A

Thin layer of surfactant

Type I pneumocytes and its basal lamina

Intervening connective tissue

Capillary endothelial cells and its basal lamina

68
Q

What kind of cells are type I pneumocytes and what percentage of alveoli do they line?

A

Squamous epithelium

lines 95% of the surface of the alveoli

69
Q

What prevents leakeage of blood and fluid from the septum of the alveoli?

A

Edges of two alveolar cells overlap and are
uniting by tight junctions preventing the leakage of blood/fluid from the alveolar septum
to the alveolar space.

70
Q

When does surfactant get produced during foetal development?

A

20 - 22 weeks of pregnancy

71
Q

What is respiratory distress syndrome?

A

Foetuses born prematurely don’t produce enough surfactant causing this condition

72
Q

What is done to prevent respiratory distress syndrome?

A

Pregnant at high risk of premature labour given betamethasone injection (at 28-32 weeks) to stimulate further production of surfactant.

73
Q

What do alveolar macrophages look like under light microscope?

A

Present within alveolar spaces (alveolar macrophage) and alveolar septum (septal
macrophage).

Slightly darker than type II pneumocytes due to their content of dust and carbon.

74
Q

What do alveolar macrophages do?

A

In alveolar space, they scavenging the alveolar
surface to remove inhaled dust particles.

In alveolar septum, they phagocytise RBCs that may enter the alveoli in heart failure.

75
Q

What material is lung parenchyma rich in?

A

Elastic fibers (Abundance of elastic fibers present in lamina propria of bronchial tree and the alveolar septum)

Reticular fibers (Reticular fibers are present in the alveolar septum. Forms the framework of the lung parenchyma)

76
Q

What is pleura?

A

Serous membrane that covers the thoracic structures.

77
Q

What is the name of Inner layer attached to lung tissue?

A

Visceral pleura

78
Q

What is the parietal pleura?

A

The outer membrane lining the thoracic

walls is the parietal pleura

79
Q

What are visceral and pleural layers composed of?

A

Simple squamous cells (mesothelium) on a thin connective tissue layer containing collagen and elastic fibers