Lecture 20 - Embryology of the Respiratory System Flashcards
Do the lungs occupy most of the space in the thorax?
YUP
Where is the trachea located?
Superior mediastinum, anterior to the esophagus
At what level does the trachea bifurcate?
T4/T5 aka the sternal angle
What do the esophagus and trachea share?
Common border = the trachealis muscle on the trachea’s posterior wall and the anterior wall of the esophagus
What meets the trachealis muscle?
16-20 incomplete cartilaginous rings (C-shaped)
How many times do the bronchi bifurcate in utero? What about postpartum?
23 times in utero
4 times postpartum
Do most alveoli form before or after birth?
AFTER birth (8.3 million vs 134 million)
What is the hilum of the lung?
The point where the root of the lung joins the medial surface of the lung
What is the root of the lung?
Sleeve-like covering made of reflections of the mediastinal pleura onto the mediastinum that pass between the lung and mediastinum
How do the diameters and overall surface area of the respiratory system change as the bronchi move distally?
Diameters decrease and overall surface area increases
What is the total epithelial surface area of the gas exchange in the lungs?
70 m^2
What is the total length of all of the capillaries in the lungs?
Almost 1,000 km
How do the walls of the bronchi change from proximal to distal? What do they become?
Supportive cartilage is replaced by smooth muscle under autonomic control until the walls are completely void of cartilage = bronchioles
What is the terminus of the bronchiole called?
Acinus
Describe how cephalocaudal folding contributes to the development of the lungs.
3-layered bilaminar disc undergoes cephalocaudal folding which forms the gut tube from the yolk sac where the lungs start to develop:
- The superior amniotic cavity enlarges relative to the yolk sac to form pockets of endoderm that pivot around a fixed anterior end (the oralpharyngeal membrane) and fixed posterior end (the cloacal membrane)
- Overlapping endoderm forms the foregut, midgut, and hindgut (the endoderm of the territory rostral to the oropharyngeal membrane becomes incorporated into the anterior ventral body wall as the blind-ending foregut)
- Foregut is subdivided into the pharyngeal gut in the head/neck area and the foregut
- Developing lungs form from the most anterior/cranial border of the foregut
At point in gestation do the lungs develop?
During the 4th week
Which mesoderm is associated with the yolk sac and forms the lungs?
Splanchnic/visceral lateral plate mesoderm
How is the esophagus formed?
Lateral folding of the splanchnic/visceral lateral plate mesoderm around the yolk sac
Describe the first step of lower airways development. What appears in conjunction?
Formation of the ventral midline respiratory diverticulum, composed of epithelial endoderm surrounded by splanchnic lateral plate mesoderm/mesenchyme. It grows quickly, and soon bifurcates into two laterally positioned lung buds (R and L)
In conjunction: the advent of the laryngotracheal groove on the ventral aspect of the caudal pharynx.
What does the respiratory system consist of? Describe each.
- Upper airways (nasal passages, pharynx)
- Larynx (which marks the dividing point of the two respiratory regions)
- Lower airways (trachea, bronchi, and lungs)
What is the first (most cranial) derivative of the foregut?
The respiratory diverticulum
What are the 4 parts of the embryonic gut tube?
- Pharyngeal gut
- Foregut
- Midgut
- Hindgut
What is another name for the the ventral midline respiratory diverticulum?
Tracheobronchial diverticulum
What will the splanchnic lateral plate mesoderm of the respiratory diverticulum give rise to?
The respiratory capillaries surrounding the alveoli
What will the endoderm of the respiratory diverticulum give rise to?
The surface for gas exchange in the alveoli
What is the ONLY asymmetrical bifurcation of the bronchial buds? What does this correspond to?
The second one forming secondary bronchial buds: 3 on the right side (3 right lobes) and 2 on the left (2 left lobes)
Describe how the trachea and esophagus separate.
Formation of the tracheo-espohageal septum to separate the respiratory diverticulum from the gut tube by being gradually pinched in from both sides inferiorly to the larynx
What does failure of the tracheo-espohageal septum to form properly lead to? Which is most common? Treatment?
Leads to a variety of malformations that allow for either:
- ***Aberrant connections between the digestive tube and the posterior aspect of trachea = tracheo-esophageal fistula (+ possible esophageal atresia depending on which portion of the esophagus is attached to the trachea)
- Discontinuities of the digestive tube
- Communication between esophagus and trachea (both continuous) with 2 tracheo-esophageal fistulae
Easily fixed with surgery if noticed in time
What are the anterior and posterior walls of the tracheo-esophaheal septum made of?
- Anterior wall = trachealis muscle
2. Posterior wall = the anterior wall of the esophagus
What is the larynx?
Common pathway to the esophagus and trachea
What is the branching pattern of the lung buds controlled by? What does this mean?
Branching pattern (aka where the divisions will take place) is controlled by the mesenchyme of the lung buds of the foregut