RESP-pulmonary ventilation and breathing Flashcards
what are the 4 types of pressure?
- atmospheric pressure
- trans-pulmonary pressure
- intra-pleural pressure
- pulmonary/ intra-alveolar pressure
what is atmospheric pressure?
pressure of air outside the body
what is trans-pulmonary pressure?
the difference in intrapulmonary and intra-pleural pressure
should trans-pulmonary pressure always be positive or negative?
positive
what is intra-pleural pressure?
pressure intra-pleural space (between parietal and visceral pleura)
should intra-pleural pressure always be positive or negative?
negative
what happens to intra-pleural pressure upon inspiration?
becomes more negative
what is pulmonary/ intra-alveolar pressure?
pressure inside the lungs/ alveoli
what happens to the pressure in inspiration?
intrapulmonary pressure < atmospheric pressure
=air moves into lungs
what happens to the pressure in expiration?
intrapulmonary pressure > atmospheric pressure
=air moves out of lungs
which pressure should always be the the lowest value?
intra-pleural pressure
how does air always move?
-down pressure gradient (from high to low)
what is breathing also called?
pulmonary ventilation
what is inspiration?
breathing in
what is expiration?
breathing out
how is breathing accomplished?
by changing the lung/ thoracic cavity volume
what are the requirements of the thorax for breathing?
- must be rigid enough for protection
- yet flexible enough to act as bellows for breathing
is inspiration active or passive?
active process
how is inspiration initiated?
by the respiratory control centre in the medulla oblongata
what does the activation of the medulla do in inspiration?
- causes contraction of diaphragm and external intercostal muscles
- Leads to an expansion of the thoracic cavity and a decrease in the pleural space pressure
is expiration an active or passive process?
passive-due to elastic recoil of lungs
are there any exceptions to expiration being passive?
-If a lot of air has to be removed quickly (eg. during exercise) the internal intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles contract and accelerate expiration by raising pleural pressure
how do pressure differences between the 2 ends of the conducting zone occur?
due to changing lung volumes
what are 3 important properties of lungs?
- compliance
- elasticity
- surface tension