Parts of the respiratory system

Question 1

List all the 17 parts of the respiratory system.

Answer 1

Nasal passages
Pharynx
Oesophagus
Trachea
Pleural membranes
Bronchus
Bronchioles
Alveoli 
Rib
Intercostal muscles
Diaphragm
Rib
Right lung
Larynx
Epiglottis
Mouth Nose

Question 2

How can air be inhaled?

Answer 2

Air can be inhaled through the mouth or the nose

Question 3

What are the two nostrils separated by?

Answer 3

The septum

Question 4

What is the septum made of?

Answer 4

cartilage and bone

Question 5

How is breathing in through the nose beneficial? (3)

Answer 5

Breathing in through the nose is beneficial because the air is:

1. Filtered or cleaned by hairs and mucus in the nostrils.
2. Moistened.
3. Warmed as it passes through the nasal passages.

Question 6

Why do we breath in through our nose?

Answer 6

Moist, warm air passes more easily from the lungs into the bloodstream

Question 7

What covers the trachea in the pharynx?

Answer 7

a flap of tissue called the epiglottis closes over the trachea when we swallow.

Question 8

What does the epiglottis prevent?

Answer 8

This prevents food and drink from passing into the trachea

Question 9

Define pharynx

Answer 9

It is the throat

Question 10

Define larynx

Answer 10

It is the voice box

Question 11

What is below the epiglottis?

Answer 11

The larynx

Question 12

What is the larynx also called?

Answer 12

The voice box

Question 13

What does the larynx contain?

Answer 13

It contains two vocal cords.

Question 14

What do the two vocal cords in the larynx do?

Answer 14

These vibrate to produce sound when we force air across them. Out tongue and lips convert the sound to speech

Question 15

What are the trachea’s subdivisions?

Answer 15

The bronchi and the higher bronchioles

Question 16

What are the trachea and its subdivisions made of?

Answer 16

They are all made of muscle and elastic fibres along with incomplete (C-shaped) rings of cartilage.

Question 17

What is cartilage and what does it do?

Answer 17

It is a strong, rigid material and it prevents the tubes from closing in when air is drawn in through them.

Question 18

What do the walls of the lower, smaller bronchioles contain?

Answer 18

They do not contain cartilage.
They only have muscle and elastic fibres and are flexible.
These are the bronchioles that become narrow during an asthma attack.

Question 19

What are all the tubes in the respiratory system lined with? What do they do?

Answer 19

mucus and cilia (tiny hairs).

They defend our lungs from infection

Question 20

How do the mucus and cilia that line all the tubes in the respiratory system defend against infection? (2)

Answer 20

1. The mucus is sticky and traps small particles such as dust, pollen grains, bacteria and viruses.
2. The cilia beat and create an upward current. This moves the mucus upwards and past the epiglottis. It then passes down the oesophagus and into the stomach.

Question 21

What are the lungs?

Answer 21

They are large, pink, spongy structures in which gas exchange takes place.

Question 22

What is each lung enclosed by?

Answer 22

Each lung is enclosed by a pair of pleural membranes

Question 23

What do the pleura line?

Answer 23

The outer pleura lines the chest wall and the diaphragm.

The inner pleura lines the lungs.

Question 24

What is the pleura cavity?

Answer 24

It is the gap between the two pleura.

Question 25

What does the pleura cavity contain?

Answer 25

It contains a liquid which lubricates the membranes and reduces friction during breathing.

Question 26

What does each bronchus subdivide into?

Answer 26

about one million bronchioles

Question 27

What do bronchioles end in?

Answer 27

They end in tiny, hollow, balloon-like air sacs called alveoli (singular alveolus)

Question 28

What is the function of the alveoli?

Answer 28

for gas exchange

Question 29

How are alveoli adapted for gas exchange? (4)

Answer 29

1. The huge number of alveoli (+700 million) provide a huge surface area for gas exchange.
2. They are thin walled (only one cell thick).
3. They have moist surfaces.
   4, They are enclosed in a network of blood capillaries.