Physiology & Anatomy Flashcards
Name and define the different lung volumes
- Tidal volume: volume inspired or expired with each normal breath
- Inspiratory reserve volume: volume that can be inspired above the tidal volume
- Expiratory reserve volume: volume that can be expired after the expiration of tidal volume
- Residual volume: volume that remains in the lung after maximum expiration
Which is the only lung volume that cannot be measured by spirometry?
Residual volume
Name and describe the different lung capacities
- Inspiratory capacity: sum of tidal volume and inspiratory reserve volume
- Functional residual capacity: sum of expiratory reserve volume and residual volume
- Vital capacity: sum of tidal volume. inspiratory reserve volume and expiratory reserve volume
- Total lung capacity: sum of all 4 volumes
Describe the anatomy of the conducting airways as well as the respiratory zone
Conducting airways (main bronchial tree): No alveoli, no gas exchange, bulk movement of air coming into respi zone
1. Trachea (cartilaginous rings)
2. Mainstem bronchi
3. Lobar bronchi
4. Segmental, subsegmental bronchi
5. Terminal bronchioles
Respiratory zone - Acinus
1. Respiratory bronchioles (transitional zone)
2. Alveolar ducts & alveolar sacs (gas exchange zone)
*Note that gas moves by bulk flow down a pressure gradient in the conducting airways, and then by diffusion in the respiratory zone
What are the 3 types of dead space and the difference between them?
Anatomic dead space: conducting airways (fixed volume) - nose, pharynx, trachea, main bronchi, bronchioles
Alveolar dead space: non functional alveoli (mainly in disease)
Physiologic dead space: anatomic + alveolar dead space (= volume of the respiratory system that does not participate in gas exchange)
What is the equation for physiologic dead space?
Vd = Vt x [(PACO2 - PECO2)/PACO2]
PACO2 = PCO2 of alveolar gaz
PECO2 = PCO2 of expired air
-> % dead space can be estimated by (PaCO2-ETCO2)/PaCO2
Define minute ventilation and alveolar ventilation
Minute ventilation = RR x Vt
Alveolar ventilation = total volume of air entering gas exchange areas each minute = RR x (Vt – Vd (dead space))
What is the forced expiratory volume (FEV1)
It is the volume that can be expired in the first second of a forced maximal expiration (normally 80% of forced vital capacity)
How can obstructive and restrictive diseases affect vital capacity?
In normal lungs, 80% of the vital capacity is expired in the first second of forced expiration (FEV1).
Obstructive (asthma, COPD): FEV1 and VC are reduced, but FEV1 more that VC.
Restrictive (fibrosis): FEV1 and VC are reduced, but VC more that FEV1.
What are the muscles of inspiration and expiration?
Inspiration:
1. Diaphragm (C7, C6, C5)
2. External intercostal muscles and accessory muscles (used in exercise and resp distress)
Expiration:
* normally passive - elastic recoil (3-5% of total energy)
1. Abdominal & internal intercostal muscles (used in exercise or when airway resistance is increased)
Briefly describe the sympathetic vs parasympathetic control of the airways
Sympathetic stimulation via circulating catecholamines –> Beta 2 stimulation –> bronchodilator
Parasympathetic stimulation via vagus nerve & acetylcholine –> bronchoconstriction
- local parasympathetic stimulation - respiratory irritants, pulmonary micro emboli, low pACo2
What is the central controller of automatic breathing and what are the 3 main groups of neurons?
The brainstem - medulla & pons (can be overridden by cortex for voluntary control)
- Medullary respiratory center (reticular formation of the medulla beneath the 4th ventricle)
- Pre-Botzinger complex (rhythm) = Central Pattern Generator
- Dorsal respiratory group (inspiration/timing)
- Ventral respiratory group (expiration) - Apneustic center (lower pons)
- Coordination of speed of inspiration and exhalation
- can have excitatory effect, prolonging ramp of inspiration from medulla - Pneumotaxic center (upper pons)
- inhibition of inspiration –> regulates volume and RR (fine-tuning of resp)
Where are the most important central chemoreceptors for ventilation situated? What do they respond to?
Ventral surface of the medulla
- Respond to changes in pH in the CSF (so indirectly to changes in CO2), and less so to changes in CO2 directly
Do NOT respond to changes in O2
How does brain extracellular fluid composition impact ventilation?
Central chemoreceptors respond to changes in brain ECF composition –> increase in H+ stimulates ventilation, decrease in H+ inhibits ventilation
CSF is most important controller of brain ECF composition –> blood CO2 diffuses into CSF, liberating H+
What is the normal CSF pH?
How can CSF pH impact ventilation in the face of chronic disease?
7.32
CSF has a lower buffering capacity than blood (less protein), therefore, changes in pH are greater and occur more rapidly. In patients with chronic hypercapnia (or obese patients), when CSF pH is displaced over a prolonged period, compensation with HCO3 occurs more rapidly than in blood (renal compensation over 2-3 days) to (almost) normalize pH –> the central chemoreceptors are no longer stimulated -> leads to abnormally low ventilation in the face of high arterial CO2
Where are the peripheral chemoreceptors located?
Carotid body, aortic bodies
Which sensors are responsible for changes in ventilation in response to arterial hypoxemia?
Peripheral chemoreceptors
- respond to decrease in PO2 (mainly), pH (carotid bodies only) and increase in CO2 (response is less important than that of the central receptors)
Name lung receptors and their effect on ventilation
- Pulmonary stretch receptors in airway smooth muscles (slowly adapting)
–> Inhibit inspiration via vagus nerve (Hering–Breuer reflex) in response to distention of the lungs - Irritant receptors between airway epithelial cells (rapidly adapting) –> bronchoconstriction and hypernea via vagus nerve in response to irritants (cigarette smoke, dust, cold air)
- J receptors in the alveolar walls close to the capillaires (juxtacapillary, very quick response)
–> shallow rapid breathing vs apnea in intense stimulations. Respond to chemicals injected into pulmonary circulation and increased interstitial alveolar volume - Bronchial C fibers in the bronchial circulation (quick response)
–> Rapid shallow breathing, bronchoconstriction & mucus secretion in response to chemicals injected into the bronchial circulation
How can blood pressure affect ventilation?
Through stimulation of the aortic and carotid baroreceptors –> increased BP can cause hypoventilation, decreased BP can cause hyperventilation
True or false: the ventilatory response to CO2 is increased if work of breathing is increased.
False. It is reduced with more work of breathing
In normal conditions, hypoxemia has a minimal role in evoking ventilation. In which situations does the hypoxic drive become very important?
Patients with severe chronic lung disease and chronic CO2 retention
** If O2 is provided to these patients to relieve hypoxemia, ventilation may significantly decrease
What innervates the different muscles involved in breathing?
Diaphragme: phrenic nerves (C7-C6-C5 cervical segments)
Intercostal muscles: intercostal nerves from spinal cord at same level (paralysis does not seriously affect breathing)
What are the 3 major intrathoracic pressures?
- Intraleural pressure
- Between visceral and parietal pleura
- At beginning of insp: - 5mmHg
- At full insp: -7.5 mmHg - Alveolar pressure
- Inside the alveoli
- End of inspiration and end of expiration: 0 mmHg
- Inspiration: - 1 mmHg
- Expiration: 1 mmHg - Transpulmonary pressure
- Difference between alveolar pressure and pleural pressure
- Measure of the elastic forces of the lungs
- 4mmHg
What is hysteresis?
In the pressure volume relationship, the curve that follows the lung on inspiration is different than on expiration.
Lung volume at any given pressure is larger during deflation than inflation (because of the need to overcome surface tension forces during inspiration)