Lecture 15- The lower respiratory tract Flashcards

1
Q

What are the key components of the lower respiratory tract?

A
  • Larynx
  • Trachea
  • Bronchi
  • Bronchioles
  • Alveoli
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2
Q

What are the functions of the lower respiratory tract?

A
  • Conducts air to/from site of gas exchange
  • Completes cleaning, warming and humidifying of air
  • Provides a barrier between the air and blood, and a large surface area for gas exchange
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3
Q

What passes through the larynx?

A

Only air

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4
Q

Where is the larynx positioned?

A
  • Anterior to esophagus

- From hyoid bone to trachea

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5
Q

What are the three types of cartilage in the larynx? What are their functions?

A

-Epiglottis: Most important, sit underneath tongue and
runs diagonally to stop food getting into airway. Pressure causes it to flap down.

  • Thyroid cartilage: If you press on your throat you can feel this. Includes the Laryngeal prominence which is more obvious in men.
  • Cricoid cartilage: Thick, complete ring holds airway to keep its shape.
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6
Q

What part of the larynx is responsible for voice?

A
  • The glottis= voice box

- Has folds attached to cartilage

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7
Q

What are the two types of folds in the glottis, how does their function vary?

A
  1. Vocal folds:
    - Are the ‘True’ vocal cords responsible for normal sounds that come out of mouth
    - Passing air causes vibrations = sound waves
  2. Vestibular folds
    - ’False’ vocal cords
    - Superior to vocal folds
    - Prevent foreign object entry to glottis
    - Can produce very deep sounds
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8
Q

Why are men’s voices deeper than female voices?

A

Testosterone affects cartilage and muscle, resulting in longer, thicker folds and therefore a deeper voice

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9
Q

What is below the larynx? Where is this in relation to other parts of the respiratory system?

A
  • The trachea
  • Anterior to esophagus
  • Between larynx and primary bronchi
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10
Q

What is the function of the trachea?

A
  • Maintain patent airway
  • Clean, warm, humidify air as has respiratory epithelium
  • Rings provide some protection
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11
Q

How does the trachea maintain a patent airway?

A
  • C-shaped cartilage rings (gives support)
  • Ends connected by band of smooth muscle at posterior: the trachealis which contract for coughing to clear any obstructions
  • Has many elastin fibres in lamina propria/submucosa layers which recoil when coughing
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12
Q

Why in the trachea is a C shape ring used rather than a full ring?

A

Means the cartilage doesn’t protrude into the esophagus. This would limit the amount of food that could go down.

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13
Q

What are the tiny structures within the submucosa of the trachea?

A
  • Submucosal glands
  • Tells us that making air moist and clean is important in the trachea as mucus is made in the underlying tissue as well as goblet cells of epithelium
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14
Q

What is the mucociliary escalator and why is it needed?

A
  • Mucus from goblet cells and mucous glands coat surface of epithelium. Debris becomes trapped. Cilia move mucus up to pharynx where debris can be swallowed
  • Called the escalator as having to move against gravity unlike in URT
  • Found in the trachea
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15
Q

Which structure prevents food from entering the larynx?

A

The epiglottis

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16
Q

Why does the amount of lobes in the left and right lungs differ?

A
  • 3 lobes on the right

- 2 lobes on the left as the heart takes up space

17
Q

What is the Hilum of the lungs?

A

Where bronchi, lymphatics & blood vessels enter

18
Q

Where do the different parts of the lungs sit?

A
  • Apex is pointing and sits against the clavicle
  • Dome shaped base sits against the diaphragm
  • Costal surface sits against the ribs
19
Q

What is the bronchi tree?

A
  • Trachea
  • Primary bronchi (head into the lungs)
  • Secondary (lobar) bronchi (head into the lobes)
  • Tertiary (segmental) bronchi
  • Bronchioles
  • Lots of branching to get smaller and smaller
  • Terminal bronchioles (last in series before alveoli)
20
Q

How many secondary (lobar) bronchi will there be for each lung?

A
  • 2 for the left lung
  • 3 for the right lung

Reflects the number of lobes

21
Q

What are the primary bronchi like in terms of cell shape and cartilage?

A
  • Respiratory epithelium (moisten, warm, clean)

- Cartilage and smooth muscle rings complete to keep airways open

22
Q

What are the secondary and tertiary bronchi like in terms of cell shape and cartilage?

A
  • Respiratory epithelium starts to decrease in height, goblet cell numbers reduce. Both these changes reflect lumen becoming thinner so not enough space for tall cells.
  • Cartilage plates: air pressure helps to keep vessels open therefore don’t need full rings
23
Q

What are the bronchioles like in terms of cell shape and cartilage?

A
  • Less than 1 millimeter
  • Cuboidal epithelium. Purely a barrier with no mucus produces as this would block thin tubes as there is no cilia to move it.
  • No cartilage but thick smooth muscle for bronchoconstriction/dilation
24
Q

What are the terminal bronchioles like in terms of cell shape and cartilage?

A
  • Less than 0.5 millimeters

- Each supplies a pulmonary lobule

25
Q

What are pulmonary lobules made up of?

A
  • Many alveoli (air sacs)

- Arranged like bunches of grapes

26
Q

How many alveoli are there per lung? What does this mean?

A
  • ~150 million alveoli per lung

- This takes most of the lungs’ volume and creates an enormous surface area for gas exchange

27
Q

What are the walls of the alveoli like?

A

-Alveolar walls very thin: simple squamous epithelium

on a thin basement membrane

28
Q

What is the external surface of the alveoli covered in?

A
  • Covered in fine network of pulmonary capillaries

- This is where the pulmonary veins and arteries connect

29
Q

Where are the openings in the alveoli? What do they allow?

A
  • Pocket-like opening at one side

- Allows air to get in and out

30
Q

What are lung epithelial cells called?

A

Pneumocytes

31
Q

What are the two types of Pneumocytes?

A
  1. Type I squamous:
    -Forms the respiratory membrane/blood-air barrier
    with capillary wall and shared basement membrane
  2. Type II cuboidal
    -Scattered amongst Type I
    -Secrete surfactant, a complex lipoprotein (phospholipid) that reduces the surface tension of
    alveolar fluid
32
Q

What is a roaming macrophage?

A

Remove debris that makes it to alveoli

33
Q

What is the blood air barrier and what are the three layers?

A

-Alveolus and capillary come next to each other

3 layers:

  • Alveolar cell layer
  • Fused basement membranes
  • Capillary endothelium (can tell it is blood side if there is a red blood cell shown)
34
Q

What is the trend in both cartilage and smooth muscle in the lower respiratory system?

A
  • Cartilage goes from full in the larynx to C shaped in the trachea, then full again in the primary bronchi. In primary and secondary bronchi becomes fragmented and then in bronchioles there is none at all
  • Opposing trend in seen in smooth muscle starts as not much at all and then as cartilage is less it is replaced by smooth muscle
35
Q

What is the trend in cell shape/shape across the bronchi tree?

A
  • Start as columnar and then as the diameter gets smaller and smaller becomes cuboidal in the bronchioles and squamous for thinnest gas exchange surface possible in terminal bronchioles.
  • Also get less goblet cells and mucus as go down as this blocks the narrow spaces