Module 4 - Respiratory System

Question 1

What is a part of the upper and lower anatomical respiratory tract?

Answer 1

upper: nasal cavity, pharynx, (larynx)
lower: (larynx), trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli

Question 2

What makes up the upper and lower functional tracts and what are their function?

Answer 2

upper (conduction): nose to terminal bronchioles

lower (gas exchange): respiratory bronchioles to alveoli

Question 3

What happens to the respiratory epithelium as it goes from bronchus to alveoli?

Answer 3

becomes respiratory membrane
pseudostratified becomes simple
smooth muscle is incomplete in bronchi and complete in bronchioles

Question 4

How is air modified?

Answer 4

Filtration: vibrissae (nose hairs, remove large particles), muco-ciliary escalator, dust cells
Humidification: upper airways lined with vascularized mucosa, inhaled air saturated with water on way through
Warming: venous plexus in nasal mucosa, heat transfer from warm blood

Question 5

What is pulmonary ventilation?

Answer 5

inhalation and exhalation

Question 6

What is external and internal respiration?

Answer 6

External respiration: exchange between air and blood

Internal respiration: exchange between blood and tissues

Question 7

What is Boyle’s Law?

Answer 7

pressure and volume are proportionate and inverse of each other

Question 8

What pressure gradients occur between atmosphere, and alveoli?

Answer 8

atmosphere is 760 mmHg, a 2mmHg alveolar pressure gradient is enough for air movement

Question 9

What is the function of pleura and pleural fluid?

Answer 9

Pleura: keeps alveoli open (surface tension)

Pleural fluid: reduces friction

Question 10

How is breathing regulated by the CNS? (PRG, DRG, VRG)

Answer 10

PRG- pons, communicates with RS in medulla oblongata, smooth breathing
Medulla oblongata
DRG (dorsal)- inspiratory centre, triggers inhalation
VRG (ventral)- secondary to DRG, monitors rhythmicity of breathing, expiratory (and inspiratory) centre

Question 11

What is the Herring-Breur reflex?

Answer 11

prevents over distension of lungs, inhibits inhalation, response to signal from stretch receptors

Question 12

What are the types of alveolar epithelium and what do they do?

Answer 12

Type I (simple squamous) and Type II (surfactant secreting)

Question 13

What is Dalton’s Law?

Answer 13

total pressure of a mixture of gases is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the component gases

Question 14

What are the partial pressures of O2 and CO2?

Answer 14

check notes

Question 15

What is the respiratory minute volume?

Answer 15

vol. air moved each minute

Question 16

What is the total lung capacity?

Answer 16

amount of air in lung at full inspiration (TV+IRV+ERV+RV)

Question 17

What is tidal volume?

Answer 17

vol. air each breath

Question 18

What are the inspiratory and expiratory reserve volumes?

Answer 18

Inspiratory reserve volume: volume that can be max inspired beyond normal tidal volume
Expiratory reserve volume: volume max expired after normal

Question 19

What is the residual volume?

Answer 19

vol. remaining after max exhalation

Question 20

What is the vital capacity?

Answer 20

vol. exhaled after max inhale (VC= ERV+TV+IRV)

Question 21

What is the inspiratory capacity?

Answer 21

vol. expired from max inspiration to end of normal (IC= TV+IRV)

Question 22

What is the functional residual capacity?

Answer 22

vol. remaining in lung after normal TV expiration (FRC= ERV+RV)

Question 23

What is compliance and resistance?

Answer 23

Compliance: measure of ease of inhalation/stretch
Resistance: force required to inflate/deflate lungs

Question 24

What is cystic fibrosis?

Answer 24

congenital, accumulation of thick mucus, inflammation, no cure

Question 25

What is emphysema?

Answer 25

destruction of alveoli, reduced gas exchange surface, merging of alveoli, no cure

Question 26

What is asthma?

Answer 26

constriction of the smooth muscle along bronchial tree, increased resistance