Principles - Respiratory System Flashcards
What route does air take in normal breathing?
- right/left nasal cavities or the oral cavity
- pharynx
- larynx
- trachea (becomes LRT)
- right and left main bronchus
- lobar bronchi
- segmental bronchi
- bronchioles
- alveoli
Where does the larynx become the trachea?
At the level of C6
What is the epiglottis?
a flap of cartilage behind the root of the tongue, which is depressed during swallowing to cover the opening of the windpipe.
What happens at the carina?
The bronchi separate
How many bronchopulmonary segments are there?
10
What does the respiratory tree describe?
The anatomy of the LRT airways from trachea to alveoli
What is a lung lobe?
The area of lung that each of the lobar bronchi supply with air
Each lung lobe has its own air supply (lobar bronchi), blood supply, nerve supply and lymphatic drainage
How many lobar bronchi are there?
5 - one for each lung lobe
What is a bronchopulmonary segment?
The area of lung lobe that each one of the segmental bronchi supply with air.
What are tissues?
Deep crevices that separate the lung lobes
What are the lobes in the right lung?
There are 3
Upper, middle and lower
What are the lobes in the left lung?
There are 2
Upper and lower
Where is the horizontal fissure?
separates right middle lobe from right upper
What supports the walls of the trachea and bronchi?
hyaline cartilage
This assists with maintaining the patency of the airways - holds them open
The amount of cartilage gradually reaches distally in the respiratory tree
What is the most prominent feature of the walls of the bronchioles?
Smooth muscle
It becomes progressively more prominent distally - bronchioles can therefore constrict or dilate
True or False.
Alveoli contain smooth muscle in their walls
False.
Alveoli must have neither cartilage or smooth muscle in their walls - this would impact on diffusion
What is a wheeze?
This is the sound made as air passes through constricted air wards
How are the nasal cavities separated from one another?
Nasal septum
bony (posterior) part: ethmoid bone superiorly, the vomer inferiorly
cartilaginous (anterior) part: septal cartilage - hyaline
What does the skeleton of the larynx consist of?
Several cartilages: The epiglottis The thyroid cartilage The cricoid cartilage The 2 arytenoid cartilages (posteriorly)
What are the functions of the larynx?
- Cartilages help maintain URT patency
- helps to prevent entry of foreign bodies into LRt
- produces sound - vocal cord
What is the rima glottidis?
The narrowest part of the larynx
What do the superior, middle and inferior conchae do?
Greatly increase SA of the lateral walls of the nasal cavities
Produce turbulent flow bringing air in contact with the walls
How is air we breathe in warmed?
Respiratory mucosa lining nasal cavities has very good arterial blood supply
How is moisture provided in the nasal cavities?
Resp. mucosa produces mucous
This also traps potential infected particles
Cilia waft mucous to the pharynx to be swallowed
What do the tonsils do? Where are they located?
Part of the lymphatic system - produce white blood cells in the defence against infection
Located within the mucosa lining the pharynx
What are some features of a rib?
head and tubercle- attach to vertebrae
neck
body/shaft
costal groove - inferiorly on deep surface
What is the manubrium?
The superior most part of the sternum
Where is the sternal angle?
At level of rib 2
Articulation between manubrium and rest of sternum
What is the xiphoid process?
Inferior most part of the sternum
Landmark in CPR
What is the pleural cavity?
The space between the parietal and visceral layers of pleura
What is the parietal pleura?
Internal lining of the chest wall
What is the visceral pleura?
delicate serous membrane that covers the surface of each lung
