Lecture 1 - Intro To Resp Flashcards
What is the equation for compliance?
Change in lung vol / change in lung pressure
What does it mean if the lungs are described as being highly compliant?
There a high change in lung volume when theres a small change in pressure
What is the pleural pressure at rest and what is the alveolar pressure at rest?
Plural pressure = negative at rest
Alveolar pressure = zero at rest
(The atmospheric pressure is zero)
How does air get drawn into the lungs during inspiration?
Diaphragm contracts decreasing alveolar pressure making it NEGATIVE this creates a pressure gradient drawing air into the alveoli
What happens to the pressures in expiration?
Its very passive
As muscles relax, the alveolar pressure becomes less negative, becomes positive then goes back to zero
What are the 2 components creating the elastic forces in the lungs?
Elastic creating elastic recoil
Fluid in alveoli creates surface tension between the air and fluid
How does the fluid in the alveoli contribute to the elastic forces drawing the lungs in?
Water molecules try and contract to make a smaller structure making alveoli more collapsible
What is Tidal volume?
What is the approximate tidal volume in most people?
The quiet breath
The amount of air drawn in and out when breathing normally
500ml
What is Inspiratory reserve volume?
What is the approximate IRV in a person?
Forceful inhalation of air after the normal inhalation of air (tidal volume)
2.5L
What is Expiratory Reserve Volume?
What is the average ERV?
The amount of air that can be forceful exhaled after the normal tidal volume is exhaled
1.5L
What is residual volume?
The air left in the lungs that cant be forcefully exhaled after the ERV
What is total lung capacity?
The total amount of air in the lungs
What is vital capacity?
The largest amount of air that can be moved in one breath
IRV + Tidal vol + ERV
What is inspiratory capacity?
TV + IRV
How do restrictive respiratory disorders affect lung compliancy and lung volumes?
Limits lung compliancy reducing all lung volumes
How are the airways affected in obstructive respiratory disorders?
How is compliancy affected?
Airways obstructed (mucus, narrowing)
Nothing happens to compliancy
How is inspiration and expiration affected in Obstructive Respiratory Disorders and why?
Inspiration not really affected since airways can expand
Expiration IS affected since as tube narrows the mucus blocks it trapping gases in lungs
How are the lung volumes affected in obstructive respiratory disorders?
IRV is normal ((airways expand)
ERV reduced leading to RV (Residual Volume) to increase since air able to be exhaled reduces
What is ventilation?
Process of inspiration and expiration
The physical action of breathing and moving air into and out of the lung
Why is the respiratory centre in the brain improtant for ventilation?
Neurones there generate impulses that get sent to the muscles of respiration making breathing rhythmic
What leads to the movement of gases?
Pressure gradients
What is respiration?
The exchange of oxygen and CO2 across a membrane either in the lungs or at the cellular level (between alveoli and capillaries)
What is the difference between respiration and ventilation?
Ventilation is the movement of air into and out of the lungs
Respiration is the exchange of gases
What are the 2 portions of the respiratory tract?
Conducting portion
Respiratory portion
What happens in the conducting portion of the respiratory tract?
Conducts air through
What happens in the respiratory portion of the respiratory tract?
Gas exchange
What is anatomical dead space?
The volume of air in the conducting AIRWAYS of the respiratory tract not involved in gas exchange