lecture 1 : structure and function of the lung Flashcards
What is the primary function of the lung?
gas exchange
What other functions does the lung have other than gas exchange?
it filters unwanted materials from the blood, it has metabolic functions, and it acts as a reservoir for blood.
Where does the blood gas barrier exist?
alveolar walls
blood gas barrier is extremely ________.
thin. unidentifiable on a light micrograph
What is the measured thickness of the blood gas barrier?
a third of a micron
the pulmonary capillary is polarized causing what to the barrier?
one side of the barrier is thinner than the other.
outermost layer of the pulmonary capillary?
alveolar epithelium; type 1 alveoli epithelium cell w/ a nucleus
innermost layer of the pulmonary capillary?
capillary endothelium
what is between the innermost layer( capillary endothelium) and the outermost layer (alveolar epithelium)?
extracellular interstitium
what is the extracellular matrix/ interstitium made up of?
a fusion of the basement membranes of the alveolar epithelium and the capillary endothelium
What is one of the most important constituents of the interstitium space?
type 4 collagen in the basement membranes, responsible for the strength of the blood gas barrier
The area of the blood gas barrier in the human lung is about how big?
50-100 square meters, generated from about 500 million alveoli, with many capillaries, allowing us to have this enormous area of barrier and very thin.
What is the junction at the end of the trachea?
carina
trachea divides into what?
The right main bronchus and left main bronchus
trachea is constructed of
cartilagenous rings
