Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Pulmonary system > Microscopic Anatomy of the Airways > Flashcards

Microscopic Anatomy of the Airways Flashcards

1
Q

Respiratory system components

A

1) Pair of lungs

2) Airways that lead to and from the lungs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Functions of respiratory system

A

1) Inspiration and exhalation of air
2) Gas exchange
3) Olfaction (smell)
4) Phonation (speech)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Two divisions of structures of the respiratory system

A

1) Conducting structures

2) Respiratory structures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Conducting airways

A

1) Nasal cavities
2) Nasopharynx, oropharynx, larynx
3) Trachea
4) Bronchi
5) Bronchioles

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Function of conducting airways

A
  • warm and humidify air

- remove foreign particles so don’t damage the delicate structures where gas exchange occurs

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Respiratory structure - composition

A
  • respiratory bronchioles

- pulmonary alveoli (alveolar ducts, alveolar sacs, alveolus)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Function of respiratory structures

A

-gas exchange

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Histological plan for conducting airways - components

A
  • mucosa (inner most layer)
  • submucosa
  • adventitia
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Composition of mucosa

A

-respiratory epithelium on top of a basement membrane and a lamina propria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Composition of submucosa

A

-loose connective tissue containing seromucous glands

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Adventicia

A
  • outer, connective tissue layer

- binds airways to adjacent tissues

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Respiratory epithelium other name

A

Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Requirements of air before enters respiratory epithelium

A

-must be conditioned (needs to be humidified and cleaned of particles/pathogens)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What carries out the process of conditioning

A
  • cells in respiratory epithelium

- airway lining fluid

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Cells of respiratory epithelium

A
  • ciliated columnar epithelial cells
  • goblet cells
  • basal cells
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Role of goblet cells in respiratory epithelium

A

-produce mucous that line all but the smallest airways

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Role of basal cells

A
  • sit along basement membrane

- act as stem cells – renewal population for both columnar epithelial and goblet cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Role of ciliated columnar epithelial cell

A

-cilia propels mucous and debris out of airways

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Origin of mucous that lines the airways

A
  • goblet cells

- seromucous glands

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Why lungs are susceptible to damage by inhaled pathogens/particles/toxic chemicals

A

Gas exchange dependent on very thin and delicate blood air barrier

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

How gas exchange regions in the lungs are protected from inhaled pathogens/particles/toxic chemicals

A

Airway lining fluid

  • comprised of:
    a) peri-cilliary layer (low viscosity - secreted by epithelial cells)
    b) mucous blanket -thick on top of pericilliary layer
  • pathogens get caugh in this plane
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Mucociliary escaltor -explain what is happening

A

Peri-cilliary layer = layer that cilia will do majority of beating in
-only the tops of the cilia grab onto mucous blanket to propel it up the airways moving to the larynx for clearance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Respiratory diseases associated with impaired ciliary function-what’s going on?

A

A problem with the peri-ciliary layer

a) too viscous and cilia can’t beat
b) disipeared completely and cilia can’t function

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Metaplasia -definition

A

Replacement of one type of epithelium with another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Where does metaplasia of the respiratory tract typically occur
-Where pattern of airflow is altered i.e. when forceful airflow occurs
26
Smoking --> how leads to metaplasia
- respiratory epithelium will compensate for constantly being under attack by increasing the number of goblet cells by producing more mucous to try and trap particulates of smoke - results in increase mucous that is difficult to clear and leads to chronic coughing - chronic coughing = forceful airflow/change in pattern airflow - this results in the replacement of ciliated columnar cells to squamous cells - squamous = more sturdy = stronger where there is a change in airflow but at same time -reduced number of ciliated cells to clear mucous - change is reversible if irritant is eliminated or can lead to metaplastic transformation
27
Function of the trachea
- conduit for air | - condition inspired air (lined with respiratory epithelium)
28
Four definable layers of the trachea
1) Mucosa 2) Submucosa 3) Cartilaginous layer 4) Adventitia layer
29
Mucosa of trachea composition
Respiratory epithelium
30
Submucosa of trachea composition
-Seromucous glands
31
Cartilagenous layer composition
-16-20 cartilagenous rings (C-shaped rings
32
Function of cartilagenous layer
-flexible, maintains patency of trachea
33
Adventitia composition and function
- loose connective tissue | - binds trachea to other structures
34
Tracheobronchial tree function
-air moves from trachea into lungs via this path
35
Number of generations of airways within tracheobronchial tree
-airway divides approximately 23 times
36
Average number of terminating pulmonar acini + alveoli
- 30, 000 pulmonary acini | - each containing more than 10,000 alveoli
37
Regular dichotomy model
Model that predicts that each airway will branch into 2 equally sized daughter airways -in reality daughter bronchi are never actually the same size and sometimes there is trifurcations
38
Histology of bronchi
-initially similar histologically to trachea -when enter the lung at hilum will several important histological differences 1) Rings of cartilage are replaced by irregular cartilage plates 2) Circular layer of smooth muscle Five layers: -mucosa -muscularis -submucosa -cartilage layer -adventitia
39
Branches of main bronchi
Intrapulmonary bronchi (characterized by successive, dichotomous branching)
40
Histological changes as bronchi become smaller
1) the amount of cartilage decreases (but still bronchi not directly embedded in lung tissue - do not rely directly on elastic component of lung to keep airways open) 2) respiratory epithelium becomes reduced in height 3) still have layer of smooth muscle
41
Somewhere around generation 11 what happens
- conducting air passage is < 1mm in diameter - no cartilage -embedded directly in lung tissue and rely on its elastic properties to keep the airway open - do not have submucosal glands - in rely small airways don't want mucus - still have smooth muscle (responsible for star-shaped lumen of bronchioles) - epithelial lining changes a) simple columnar epithelium (where airways are larger) b) simple cuboidal epithelium (where airways are smaller) - goblet cells replaced by clara cells
42
Structure of clara cells
- non-ciliated | - dome shaped
43
Abundancy of clara cells
Represent 75-85% of cells lining the bronchioles
44
Function of clara cells
1) Secrete surfactant to reduce surface tension 2) Clara cells secretory protein (CCSP)**function? 3) Ingestion and breakdown of toxins 4) Produce enzymes to breakdown mucus 5) Lysozymes (antimicrobial)
45
Asthma
- intermittent reversible airway obstruction - episodes of chest tightening, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath (all the result of narrowing of airway) - generally in response to inflammatory mediator that will induce contraction of smooth muscle in airway wall)
46
Bronchoconstriction
Contraction of airway smooth muscle
47
Allergen induced asthma
- one of the many types of asthma | - where allergens are the trigger for bronchoconstriction (inflammatory stimuli)
48
Inflammatory cells in airway walls
1) Eosinophils 2) Mast cells 3) Neutrophils 4) Lymphocytes
49
Role of mast cells
- have IgE receptors - in response to allergen - IgE receptors activate the mast cells - mast cells release spasmogens that induce contraction of airway smooth muscle
50
Role of eosinophils
-also release mediators that are spasmogens
51
Neutrophil role
-release proteases that damage epithelium
52
Airway changes in asthmatic
1) Goblet cells hyperplasia *(chronic) 2) Airway inflammation 3) Bronchoconstriction
53
Goblet cell hyperplasia - result
Mucous hypersecretion
54
Airway remodelling
-body tries to fix localized areas of damage 1) increase in connective tissue surrounding epithelium 2) increase in numbers of layers smooth muscle surrounding the airway (strengthens the contraction) = subepithelial fibrosis?
55
Respiratory structures
1) Respiratory bronchioles | 2) Alveoli
56
Respiratory bronchioles-function
- transition - close to where branche with bronchioles still mainly function for air conduction - further down greater role in gas exchange
57
Histology of respiratory bronchioles
- close to bronchioles: - simple cuboidal epithelium (ciliated) and clara cells (non-ciliated) - distal segments (closer to alveoli): - clara cells predominate - alveoli extend from lumen of respiratory bronchioles
58
Alveoli
- terminal air spaces in the lung | - where gas exchange occurs
59
Components alveolus
- alveolar septa - alveolar epithelial cells (continuous lining) - network of capillaries - alveolar macrophages
60
Function of alveolar septa
- framework (for structure of alveoli to sit in) | - structure that blood vessels articulate with
61
Compositionn of alveolar septa
- type IV collagen fibers | - elastic fibers
62
Cell composition of alveolar epithelium
- type I pneumocytes | - type II pneumocytes
63
Type I pneumocytes
- thin squamous cell - large surface area to faciliate gas exchange - linked by tight junctions (restrict movement in and out of airspaces) - cover 95% of alveola surface
64
Type II pneumocytes
- cuboidal cells - more numerous but because of shape only cover 5% of alveolar surface - do not function in gas exchange directly - secrete surfactant to prevent alveolar collapse - usually located in septal junctions
65
Blood air barrier
- structure where gas exchange occurs - represent areas of minimal thickness (have only thin type I pneumocytes + thin capillary endothelium - share basal lamina (fused) - creased barrier of minimal thickness = 0.3- 0.5 um which allows for rapid gas exchange)
66
Dust cells/alveolar macrophages location
Blood air barrier
67
Dust cell/alveolar mac function
-Scavenging foreign bodies (dust particles, pathogens, etc) and remove
68
How dust cells can be identified at a) LM level b) EM level
a) LM level: - can see ingested particles (brown dots) b) EM level: - share features common to all macrophages - primary and secondary lysosomes in cytoplasm

Pulmonary system (19 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions