Physiology of Respiratory System Flashcards

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1
Q

External respiration consists of (2):

A
  • pulmonary ventilation/breathing

- gas exchange in pulmonary capillaries of the lungs

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2
Q

Internal respiration consists of:

A
  • systemic tissue gas exchange

- cellular respiration

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3
Q

metabolic reactions that consume oxygen and give off CO2 during the production of ATP

A

cellular respiration

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4
Q

2 phases of pulmonary ventilation/breathing:

A

inspiration/inhalation: moves air into the lungs

expiration/exhalation: moves air out of the lungs

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5
Q

the rate of airflow and amount of effort needed for breathing are influenced by _________, ________, and ________.

A
  • alveolar surface tension
  • compliance of the lungs
  • airway resistance
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6
Q

air flows from ____ pressure to _____ pressure.

A

high pressure to low pressure

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7
Q

alveolar pressure (PA) < atmospheric pressure (PB) =

A

inspiration

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8
Q

alveolar pressure (PA) > atmospheric pressure (PB) = expiration

A

expiration

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9
Q

pressure gradients are established by changes in the size of the thoracic cavity, produced by ____ and ______ of respiratory muscles

A

contraction and relaxation

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10
Q

Law: the pressure of a gas in a closed container is inversely proportional to the volume of the container

A

Boyle’s Law

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11
Q

_____ is important for understanding the pressure changes that occur in the lungs and thorax during the breathing cycle

A

Boyle’s Law

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12
Q

______:

expansion of the thorax –> decreased alveolar pressure –> air flows in to lungs

A

inspiration

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13
Q

most important muscle of respiration is the ______. Contraction of this muscle causes it to flatten and increase the vertical diameter of the thoracic cavity

A

diaphragm

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14
Q

the 2nd most important muscle of respiration are the ______ . When they contract, the ribs elevate increasing the anteroposterior and lateral diameters of the chest cavity

A

external intercostals

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15
Q

contraction of the ______ is responsible for about 25% of the air that enters the lungs during normal respiration

A

intercostals

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16
Q

expansion of the thorax results in _______ alveolar pressure.

A

decreased

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17
Q

Air moves into the lungs when alveolar pressure…

A

drops below atmospheric pressure

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18
Q

a passive process that begins when inspiratory muscles are relaxed, decreasing the size of the thorax

There is no active muscle movement

A

quiet expiration

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19
Q

at max inspiration, the atmospheric pressure and alveolar pressure are ____, meaning no more movement of air

A

equal

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20
Q

decreasing thoracic volume ____ alveolar pressure above atmospheric pressure –> air moves out of the lungs

A

increases

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21
Q

tendency of pulmonary tissues to return to a smaller size after having been stretched during inspiration

A

elastic recoil

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22
Q

how much effort is required to stretch the lungs and chest wall

A

compliance

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23
Q

lungs and chest wall expand easily

A

high compliance

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24
Q

lungs and chest wall resist expansion

A

low compliance

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25
Q

the 2 principle influences on compliance:

A

elasticity

surface tension

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26
Q

Surfactant reduces the pressure difference needed to allow the lung to inflate. The lung’s compliance decreases and ventilation decreases when lung tissue becomes _______ and _____.

A

diseased and fibrotic

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27
Q

Airway resistance:

Normal inspiration:

  • bronchioles __#1___ because their walls are pulled outward in all directions
  • __#2____ resistance

Normal exhalation:

  • brochioles return to resting diameter with __#3___ of lungs
  • ___#4___ resistance
A
  1. enlarge
  2. decreased resistance
  3. elastic recoil
  4. increased resistance
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28
Q

any condition that narrows or obstructs airways _____ resistance. i.e. asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, COPD

A

increases

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29
Q

Respiratory muscles for inspiration (7)

A
  • diaphragm
  • external intercostals

mm that aid in forced inspiration:

  • scalenes
  • SCM
  • Trapezius
  • Pectoralis Major
  • Pectoralis Minor
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30
Q

Respiratory muscles for forced exhalation (5)

A
  • internal intercostals
  • rectus abdominus
  • external oblique
  • internal oblique
  • transverse abdominus
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31
Q

the amounts of air moved in and out of the lungs and remaining in them

A

pulmonary volumes

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32
Q

instrument used to measure volume of air exchanged in breathing

A

spirometer

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33
Q

amount of air inhaled and exhaled in normal breathing

A

tidal volume (TV)

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34
Q

when you take a deep breath, more than 500mL of air is inhaled. This additional air is the _________.

A

inspiratory reserve volume (IRV)

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35
Q

Tidal volume = the volume of one breath averages about ____mL of air into and out of the lungs

A

500mL

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36
Q

IRV is approximately ____mL in an adult male and ___mL in an adult female

A
  • 3100

- 1900

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37
Q

amount of air that can be exhaled after normal exhalation

A

expiratory reserve volume (ERV)

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38
Q

average ERV is approx. ____ mL in men and ___mL in women

A
  • 1200

- 700

39
Q

amount of air that cannot be forcibly exhaled

A

residual volume (RV)

40
Q

measuring _______ helps monitor the response of treatment and progression of respiratory disease

A

lung capacity

41
Q

represents the largest volume of air an individual can move in and out of the lungs

A

vital capacity (VC)

VC = TV + IRV + ERV

42
Q

maximal amount of air an individual can inspire after a normal expiration

A

Inspiration Capacity (IC)

IC = TV + IRV

43
Q

the amount of air in lungs at the end of normal expiration (no contraction of expiratory muscles)

A

functional residual capacity
(FRC)

FRC = ERV + RV

44
Q

total volume of air a lung can hold

A

total lung capacity (TLC)

TLC = VC + RV

45
Q

factors than affect lung volumes: (3)

A
  • chest wall deformities (scoliosis, kyphosis)
  • neuromuscular disorders (Lou Gehrig’s disease
  • pleural disease (fluid in pleural space)

All of these are restrictive respiratory diseases

46
Q

volume of air blown out in the 1st second of forced expiration

A

forced expiratory volume (FEV1)

47
Q

vital capacity measured during forced expiration

A

Forced vital capacity (FVC)

48
Q

a FEV/FVC of #% indicated that there isn’t likely any obstruction to air flow out of the lungs

A

80%

49
Q

Diseases that affect the airways themselves, causing an airflow limitation or an airflow obstruction

A

obstructive lung diseases

ie.

  • bronchitis: excessive mucus production
  • ephysema: alveoli collapse
  • COPD
  • Astma
50
Q

the volume of inspired air that reaches the alveoli

only this volume of air takes part in the exchange of gases between air and blood. Gas exchange only occurs in the alveoli

A

alveolar ventilation

51
Q

air in passageways that do not participate in gas exchange

A

anatomical dead space

52
Q

anatomical dead space plus the volume of any nonfunctioning alveoli (as in pulmonary disease)

A

physiological dead space

53
Q

treatments to increase alveolar ventilation (3):

A
  • diaphragmatic breathing
  • mobilization = exercise
  • aiding clearance of secretions (eg. CPT, postural drainage)
54
Q

pressure exerted by one gas in a relative mixture of gases or in a liquid

A

partial pressure of gas

55
Q

partial pressure of gas is directly related to the relative concentration of the gas in the mixture

gases will diffuse down their concentration gradient from an area of ____ concentration to ___ concentration

A

high to low

56
Q

4 main factors that determine the amount of oxygen that diffuses into blood:

A
  • oxygen pressure gradient between alveolar air and incoming pulmonary blood
  • total functional surface area of the respiratory membrane
  • respiratory minute volume
  • alveolar ventilation
57
Q

the oxygen pressure gradient between alveolar air and incoming pulmonary blood

A

pulmonary gas exchange

58
Q

anything that lowers the alveolar PO2 will ____ the pressure gradient

A

decrease

59
Q

anything that decreases the number of alveoli available for gas exchange will _____ the functional surface area

A

decrease

60
Q

total volume of air inhaled and exhaled each minute

A

respiratory minute volume

61
Q

anything that decreases respiratory rate or volume inspired per minute will ____ minute volume

A

decrease

62
Q

decreased exchange of gases related to obstruction

preventing inspired air from getting to the alveoli
foreign body, secretions, disease

A

alveolar ventilation (decreased)

63
Q

structural factors that facilitate oxygen diffusion from alveolar air to blood:

A
  • walls of alveoli and capillaries form only thin barrier for gases to cross
  • alveolar and capillary surfaces are large
  • blood is distributed through the capillaries in a thin layer so each red blood cell comes in close contact to alveolar air
64
Q

how blood transports gases:

A
  1. O2 and CO2 are transported as solutes and as parts of molecules of certain chemical compounds
  2. Immediately upon entering the blood, both O2 and CO2 dissolve in the plasma
  3. Most of the O2 and CO2 molecules form a chemical union with some other molecule such as hemoglobin
65
Q

a reddish protein pigment found only inside red blood cells

made up of 4 polypeptide chains each with an iron-containing heme group

A

hemoglobin

66
Q

A _____ is the binding agent for oxygen on the hemoglobin molecule

A

iron atom

67
Q

As hemoglobin has 4 binding heme groups it can transport up to # atoms of oxygen

A

4

68
Q

______ binds to amino acid chains on hemoglobin

A

carbon dioxide

69
Q

oxygenated blood contains about # ml of dissolved oxygen per 100 ml of blood

A

0.3 ml

70
Q

hemoglobin _____ the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood

A

increases

71
Q

the exact amount of O2 in the blood depends mainly on the _____.

A

amount of hemoglobin present

72
Q

to combine with hemoglobin, oxygen must diffuse from plasma into ______ where hemoglobin molecules are located

A

red blood cells

73
Q

oxygen travels in 2 forms:

A
  • as dissolved O2 in the plasma

- as O2 associated with hemoglobin (oxyhemoglobin)

74
Q

an illustration of the rate at which hemoglobin combines with oxygen in lung capillaries

increasing blood PO2 accelerates hemoglobin association with oxygen (concentration gradient)

A

O2 Hb dissociation curve

75
Q

______ carries the majority of the total oxygen transported by blood

A

oxyhemoglobin

76
Q

a small hand-held device that measures the color of blood in a superficial capillary bed. The device gives an indirect reading of the oxygen saturation of the blood.

A

pulse oximeter

77
Q

Carbon dioxide is carried in the blood similarly to oxygen:

A
  • a small amount of CO2 is dissolved in plasma

- about 20% of CO2 combines with NH2 (amine) groups of hemoglobin = carbamino compounds (carbaminohemoglobin)

78
Q

most CO2 (about 60%) is carried in plasma as ______.

A

bicarbonate ions

79
Q

an increase of carbon dioxide in the blood causes an increase in ____, or a drop in pH in the blood

A

acidity

80
Q

exchange of gases in tissues takes place between ____ and _____. This occurs because of pressure gradients for both oxygen and carbon dioxide

A
  • blood flowing through capillaries

- tissue cells

81
Q

oxygen diffuses out of ______ into cells and carbon dioxide diffuses from cells into venous blood.

A

arterial blood

82
Q

homeostasis of blood gases is maintained primarily by means of changes in ventilation:

A

rate and depth of breathing

83
Q

the main integrators of homeostasis of gases in the blood are located within the ____, _____, and _____

A
  • brainstem
  • carotid bodies
  • aorta
84
Q

several mechanisms help match breathing effort to metabolic demand

respiratory center is divided into 2 parts:

A
  • medullary respiratory center

- pontine respiratory group

85
Q

basic breathing rhythm can be altered by different inputs to the ____ and ____.

A

medulla and pons

86
Q

input from the ____ helps to regulate breathing rhythm (inspiration and expiration)

A

pons

87
Q

input from the ____ can override subconcious control of breathing - intentional deep breath

A

cerebral cortex

88
Q

input from _____ within the medulla are sensitive to PCO2 and pH

A

chemoreceptors

89
Q

feedback information to the medulla is also brought in from other control centers:

A
  • peripheral chemoreceptors

- carotid bodies and aorta

90
Q

an increase in PCO2 = __#1__

a decrease in PCO2 = __#2__

A
  1. faster breathing

2. slower breathing

91
Q

Our drive to breathe (4):

A
  • CO2 levels whether low or high
  • more chemoreceptors in body for CO2
  • concentration gradients are typically held in narrow range
  • more mechanisms to transport CO2
92
Q

air flow to the alveoli

A

alveoli ventilation

93
Q

blood flow to the alveoli

A

alveolar perfusion

94
Q

matching ____ and _____ to the alveoli is important for efficient gas exchange in the lungs

A

ventilation and perfusion