Pulmonary Flashcards
What is the main function of the lungs?
Gas exchange, bringing oxygen into the body and expelling carbon dioxide.
What is the function of the diaphragm?
It is a muscle that contracts involuntarily but also has voluntary control, when it contracts it pulls downward and in coordination with the chest muscles pulling the chest open it helps to suck in air to the lungs like a vacuum during inhalation. When it relaxes it moves backup and allows the lungs to recoil and push the air out
Should food enter the larynx, the esophagus, or both?
The esophagus, the epiglottis covers the larynx to seal it off while eating so that only air should enter the larynx.
What is the path of air from the larynx to the alveoli of the lungs?
Larynx> trachea > mainstem (primary) bronchi > smaller bronchi >conducting bronchioles > terminal bronchioles > respiratory bronchioles > alveoli
How many lobes are in the right lung and how many in the left lung? What are the names of the lobes?
The right lung has three lobes - upper lobe, middle lobe, and lower lobe
The left lung has just an upper lobe and lower lobe
Is the smooth muscle of the respiratory airways innervated by the somatic or autonomic nervous system?
Autonomic
Which receptors are in the smooth muscle of the trachea and bronchi? Which are stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system, and which are stimulated by the parasympathetic nervous system and what do they do?
beta 2 adrenergic receptors- sympathetic NS, increase diameter of airways
muscarinic receptors- parasympathetic NS, decrease diameter of airways
What is the mucociliary escalator?
Mucus is secreted by the lining of the large airways to help trap particles to prevent them from getting into the lungs, then ciliated cells beat rhythmically together to move the mucus and any trapped particles from the air towards the pharynx where they can either be spit out or swallowed.
Where are alveoli?
The terminal structures of the airway system, balloon like structures organized in clusters, where air exchange occurs. Thin epithelial cells line the walls of the alveoli which makes gas exchange easier
What types of cells make up the alveoli and what are their functions?
Type I and Type II pneumocytes
Type I pneumocytes are the primary cell type in the alveolus and are the cells responsible for exchange of O2 and CO2
Type II pneumocytes are the cells that produce and secrete surfactant
What is the function of surfactant?
Surfactant helps decrease the surface tension within the alveoli and keeps them open. They can also transform into type I pneumocytes to replace damaged cells
How does gas exchange occur at the alveoli?
The pulmonary arteries bring deoxygenated blood to the capillaries lining the alveoli, inhaled O2 diffuses from the alveoli to the capillaries and CO2 from the blood diffuses into the alveoli to be exhaled, the pulmonary veins then bring the oxygenated blood back to the heart to pump out to the body
What is tidal volume?
The volume of air moving in and out with each breath during normal, quiet breathing
What is inspiratory reserve volume?
The volume of air that can be maximally inhaled above the tidal volume
What is expiratory reserve volume?
The volume of air that can be maximally exhaled below the tidal volume
What is residual volume?
The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximal exhalation
What is functional residual capacity?
Expiratory reserve volume + residual volume= functional residual capacity
What is inspiratory capacity?
Tidal volume + inspiratory reserve volume= inspiratory capacity
What is vital capacity?
Inspiratory capacity + expiratory reserve volume= vital capacity
What is total lung capacity?
Vital capacity + residual volume= total lung capacity
What are alveoli?
The tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange happens
How do alveoli overcome surface tension to stay open?
By producing surfactant, which is a phospholipoprotein that reduces the surface tension, keeping the alveoli open to allow gas exchange to occur
What does difficulty with inflating individual lung alveoli result in?
Reduced lung compliance, which is the ability of the lung to stretch and inflate
What type of cells primarily line the wall of the alveoli?
Type I pneumocytes
What is the function of Type II pneumocytes?
Produce and secrete surfactant in the alveoli to overcome surface tension that could cause the alveoli to collapse. Surfactant helps to keep the alveoli open
What is the definition tidal volume?
The volume of air moving in and out with each breath during normal,quiet breathing
What is the definition of respiratory rate? What is a normal respiratory rate for adults?
The respiratory rate is the number of breaths a person takes per minute
Normally around 15 breaths per minute at rest for an adult
What is physiologic dead space?
The volume of air lost due to air trapped in airways (anatomical deadspace) and air lost to malfunctioning alveoli. This volume of air does not participate in gas exchange.
What is minute ventilation?
The total rate of air movement into and out of the lungs per minute but does not account for physiologic dead space
What is alveolar ventilation?
The total rate of air that functionally participates in gas exchange per minute and does account for physiologic dead space
If carbon dioxide production is constant, then the partial pressure of alveolar carbon dioxide is determined by what?
Alveolar ventilation
What would an increase in alveolar ventilation cause the alveolar partial pressure of carbon dioxide to do?
Decrease
What would a decrease in alveolar ventilation cause the alveolar partial pressure of carbon dioxide to do?
Increase
Is alveolar partial pressure of carbon dioxide always greater than, less than,or equal to the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide?
Equal to
If carbon dioxide production is doubled, what happens to the ventilation rate to keep a constant partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the alveoli?
It also doubles
Is hyperventilation or hypoventilation characterized by an increased pO2, a decreased pCO2, and an increased blood pH?
Hyperventilation
Is hyperventilation or hypoventilation characterized by a decreased pO2, anincreased pCO2, and a decreased blood pH?
Hypoventilation
What is the path of blood in the pulmonary circulation?
Deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle > pulmonary trunk > pulmonary arteries > pulmonary arterioles > pulmonary capillaries > gas exchange at the capillaries with the alveoli > pulmonary veins > oxygenated blood back to the heart into the left atrium
What is pulmonary blood flow?
The volume of blood that’s pumped out of the right ventricle over time, usually in 1 minute. Pulmonary blood flow is the cardiac output of the right ventricle
Is the blood pressure and resistance in the pulmonary circulation higher or lower than that of the systemic circulation?
Normally much lower in the pulmonary than in the systemic circulation.
What is the relationship between pulmonary blood flow and resistance in the pulmonary blood vessels?
Inversely proportional, as resistance goes up pulmonary blood flow goes down
How could the pulmonary blood vessels contribute to decreased pulmonary blood flow?
By changing the resistance of the vasculature, a decrease in the diameter of the arterioles from vasoconstriction causes an increase in resistance, and a decrease in blood flow
How could the pulmonary blood vessels contribute to increased pulmonary blood flow?
By changing the resistance of the vasculature, an increase in the diameter of the arterioles from vasodilation causes a decrease in resistance, and an increase in blood flow
What is the difference between the terms ventilation and respiration?
Ventilation addresses the exchange of air between the atmosphere and the lungs during inspiration and expiration while respiration addresses the exchange of gases between the blood and the cells
Is breathing primarily under voluntary or involuntary control?
Primarily involuntary control from the respiratory center but can be voluntarily controlled through commands from the cerebral cortex
Which phase of breathing is active, inspiration or expiration?
Inspiration is an active process that involves the diaphragm and the external intercostal muscles during quiet breathing.
What is atmospheric pressure?
The pressure of the air in the environment
What is alveolar pressure?
The pressure inside the alveoli
What is intrapleural (aka intrathoracic) pressure?
The pressure of the fluid inside the pleural cavity that surrounds the lungs
What does Boyle’s law state? What is an example of this in action?
At a constant temperature, pressure and volume are inversely related to each other, so when the alveolar pressure decreases, more air will enter the lungs, increasing the air volume
Does air move up or down a pressure gradient?
Air always moves down a pressure gradient
What signals the need for a new breathing cycle?
Variations in arterial pressure of oxygen PaO2, carbon dioxide PaCO2, or arterial pH
What is a normal arterial pressure of oxygen, PaO2?
100mmHg
What is a normal arterial pressure of carbon dioxide, PaCO2?
40mmHg
What is a normal arterial pH?
7.4
How do variations in arterial pressure of oxygen PaO2, carbon dioxide PaO2, or arterial pH initiate changes in breathing
Chemoreceptors sense changes in these factors and send signals to the respiratory center in the brainstem
What three major respiratory groups of neurons are found in the respiratory center in the brainstem?
Dorsal respiratory group
Ventral respiratory group
Pontine respiratory group
How does the respiratory center typically initiate breathing?
When the dorsal respiratory group in the respiratory center receives information regarding the increase of PaCO2, it sends a command through the phrenic nerve to the diaphragm and through the intercostal nerves to the external intercostal muscles
How does the respiratory center support when oxygen requirements are higher like during exercise?
The respiratory center prolongs the action potentials in the phrenic nerve to prolong the contraction of the diaphragm and initiate the activation of accessory respiratory muscles like the sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles
How does the respiratory center limit overventilation with vigorous exercise?
To prevent inhalation occurring when the lungs are already fully inflated, the respiratory center limits the burst of action potentials in the phrenic nerve, making the diaphragm contract less, stopping inspiration and allowing for expiration
When does expiration begin in the breathing cycle?
When inspiration ends
How is it that expiration is normally a passive process?
The diaphragm relaxes and the air leaves the lungs due to their elasticity. The lungs squeeze back to their initial size and put pressureon the volume of air inside the alveoli. This makes the alveolar pressure increase higher than the atmospheric pressure, creating a pressure gradient that pushes the air out of the lungs.
How does the respiratory center support forced exhalation?
The respiratory center is activated and sends signals that decrease the duration of inspiration, leaving more time for a longer expiration.
What is hyperventilation?
An increase in breathing frequency and volume above normal
What is hypoventilation?
A decrease in breathing frequency and volume below normal
What three main factors influence airway resistance?
Air viscosity, airway length, airway radius