Lecture 41- Respiratory System Flashcards
What does the upper respiratory system include?
Nose, nasal cavity, pharynx
What does the lower respiratory system include?
Larynx (voice-box), trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli
What is the conducting portion of the respiratory tract?
From the nasal cavity to the larger bronchioles
What is the respiratory portion of the respiratory tract?
The smallest respiratory bronchioles and alveoli
What does the respiratory portion include/what is the function?
Alveoli-air-filled pocked within the lungs where gas exchange takes place
What lines the conducting portion of the respiratory system?
Respiratory mucosa
What two factors make up the respiratory mucosa?
- Epithelium
- Lamina Propia
What is the underlying layer of areolar tissue that supports the respiratory epithelium called?
Lamina propia
What type of movement propels mucus across the epithelial surface?
Ciliary movement
Where are ciliated pseudo stratified columnar epithelial cells located?
Respiratory mucosa
What is the muscociliary escalator effect in regards to cystic fibrosis?
Congenital defect that affects mucus-producing cells. This leads to thick sticky mucus, which blocks respiratory passageways and leads to frequent infections
What ion needs to move through a CFTR channel in order to avoid viscous mucus from building up?
Chloride ions
What type of cells mostly line the upper respiratory tract (nasal cavity, superior portion of the pharynx, and super portion of the lower respiratory system)?
Pseudo stratified ciliated columnar epithelium/mucous cells
What type of cells line the inferior/lower portions of the pharynx?
Stratified squamous epithelium
What type of cells line the smaller bronchioles?
Cuboidal epithelium with less cilia
What type of cells line the alveoli?
Simple squamous epithelium
Place in order the four types of cells that line the respiratory tract from superior to inferior
- Pseudo stratified ciliated columnar
- Stratified squamous
- Cuboidal
- Simple squamous
What is the primary passageway for air entry?
Nose/nasal cavity
What is the space contained within the flexible tissues of the nose called?
Nasal vistbule
What does the epithelium of the nasal vestibule contain?
Coarse hairs that extend across the nostrils
What is the purpose of the hairs in the nasal cavity?
Prevents large air-borne particles (sand, dust, insects, etc…) from entering the nasal cavity
What are the three functions of the irregular bony surface in the nasal cavity?
- Makes incoming air turbulent which makes it more likely for incoming air particles to make contact with the mucus
- It provides extra time for warming/humidifying the air
- It creates circular air currents which brings olfactory stimuli to olfactory receptors
Where is the olfactory region of the nasal cavity?
Superior portion
What provides the sense of smell?
Receptors in the olfactory epithelium in the olfactory region of the nasal cavity
What does the vascularization of the nasal cavity do (2)?
Warms and humidifies the incoming air
What is the significance of nasal respiration over mouth respiration?
Nasal respiration ensure the air is warmed and humidified so that the more delicate respiratory surfaces are not drying out/chilling
Mouth respiration eliminates this process
At the boundary between the nasopharynx and the oropharynx what does the epithelium change to?
Pseudo stratified columnar epithelium to stratified squamous epithelium
Which part of the upper respiratory tract is shared by the digestive AND respiratory systems?
What does this affect?
Pharynx
Affects the type of epithelium
What is a cartilaginous tube that surrounds and protects the glottis (opening between the vocal cords)?
Larynx
Inhaled air moves from the ____ to the _____ through the glottis
Pharynx, Larynx
The Larynx is composed of what 3 cartilages?
- Epiglottis
- Thyroid Cartilage
- Cricoid cartilage
What type of cartilage is the Epiglottis made of?
Elastic cartilage
What type of cartilage is Thyroid Cartilage and Cricoid cartilage made of?
Hyaline cartilage (protects glottis and entrance to trachea)
What is the guardian of the airways? What does it do?
Epiglottis
When swallowing: Epiglottis bends over the glottis so bolus of food glides over the Epiglottis and doesn’t fall into pharynx
If food enters the windpipe, gag-reflex is induced
What is Laryngeal prominence (Adam’s apple)?
Angle of the thyroid cartilage
During puberty the thyroid cartilage elongates in response to androgens
Children have shorter/slender vocal cords=high voices
What are the three functions of the Larynx (voice box)?
- Provide a patent airway (open and clear)
- Act as a switching mechanism to route air and food into the proper channels (if food/liquid touches vocal folds=coughing reflex)
- Function in voice production (house vocal cords)
How is speech produced?
Intermittent release of expired air while opening and closing the glottis
How is the loudness of voice affected?
Increase loudness by increasing the FORCE at which the air rushes across the vocal cords
How is the pitch of voice affected?
Changed by changing the tension of the vocal cords by voluntary muscles
The _____ resonates, amplifies, and enhances sound quality
Pharynx
What is the tough, flexible tube that branches into the right and left main bronchi called?
Trachea
What is the ridge that separates the openings of the right and left main bronchi at the junction with the trachea called?
Carina of the trachea
How many tracheal cartilages are there?
20
What is the shape/function of tracheal cartiglages?
Discontinuous at the posterior trachea=allows for distortion of walls when we swallow to pass large masses of food through esophagus
Also stiffen the tracheal walls to keep trachea open/protect airway
The ends of each tracheal cartilage are connected by an _____ ____ _____ and a ____ ______
Elastic anular ligament
Trachealis muscle
What does sympathetic stimulation cause in the trachea?
Muscle relaxation/increases diameter of trachea which allows for more airflow
What is mucosa made of?
Pseudo-stratified ciliated columnar epithelium covered by mucus
What contains tracheal glands that produce mucous secretions?
Mucosa
What is the structure of bronchi in the lungs?
Branching pattern of bronchi
Main bronchus–>Lobar bronchus–>Segmental bronchi–>Smaller bronchioles
Where are the respiratory bronchioles connected to alveoli?
Along alveolar ducts
Alveolar ducts end at alveolar sacs. What are alveolar sacs?
Common chambers connected to many individual alveoli
What is each alveolus surrounded by?
Elastic fibers and an extensive network of capillaries
What type of epithelium is Pneumocytes type 1 made of?
What does in form?
Simple squamous epithelium
Forms the wall of the alveoli- site of gas exchange
What is Pneumocytes type 2 made of?
What does in produce?
Large cells scattered among the squamous cells
Produce surfactant
What is surfactant?
Oily secretion that coats the alveolar surface and reduces surface tension to keep alveoli open
It helps keep the tiny air sacs (alveoli) open so you can breathe in and out easily
What is Respiratory distress syndrome?
Alveoli collapse after breathing out because there isn’t enough surfactant, often because of injury or genetic issues
