respiratory Flashcards
What are the primary functions of the respiratory system?
Supply the body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.
Which structures comprise the upper respiratory system?
Nose, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and pharynx.
What is the role of the nasal conchae?
Increase mucosal surface area and enhance air turbulence to filter, warm, and moisten air.
Which structures are part of the lower respiratory system?
Larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs.
What is the function of the epiglottis?
Prevents food and liquids from entering the airway during swallowing.
What are the four processes of respiration?
Pulmonary ventilation, external respiration, transport of respiratory gases, and internal respiration.
Define pulmonary ventilation.
The movement of air into and out of the lungs (breathing).
What is external respiration?
The exchange of gases between the lungs and the blood.
How is oxygen transported in the blood?
Primarily bound to hemoglobin in red blood cells; a small amount is dissolved in plasma.
What factors influence hemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen?
Partial pressure of oxygen (PO₂), temperature, blood pH, and concentration of BPG.
Where are the respiratory control centers located?
In the medulla oblongata and pons of the brainstem.
What is the role of the medullary respiratory centers?
Set the basic rhythm of breathing.
How do chemoreceptors influence breathing rate?
They detect changes in CO₂, O₂, and pH levels in the blood and adjust breathing rate accordingly.
What is hypercapnia?
An elevated level of carbon dioxide in the blood.
How does the body respond to hypercapnia?
Increases the rate and depth of breathing to expel more CO₂.
What is tidal volume (TV)?
Air moved in or out during normal breathing (~500 mL).
Define inspiratory reserve volume (IRV).
Air inhaled beyond normal inspiration.
What is expiratory reserve volume (ERV)?
Air exhaled beyond normal expiration.
Explain residual volume (RV).
Air remaining in lungs after maximal exhalation.
How is vital capacity (VC) calculated?
VC = TV + IRV + ERV.
What is the primary driving force for oxygen diffusion in the lungs?
The partial pressure gradient of oxygen between the alveoli and the blood.
How is carbon dioxide transported in the blood?
Dissolved in plasma, chemically bound to hemoglobin, and as bicarbonate ions in plasma.
What is the chloride shift?
The exchange of chloride and bicarbonate ions across red blood cell membranes to facilitate CO₂ transport.
What effect does a rightward shift of the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve have?
Decreases hemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen, facilitating oxygen release to tissues.
What conditions can cause a rightward shift in the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve?
Increased CO₂, increased H⁺ concentration (decreased pH), increased temperature, and increased BPG levels.
Anatomy & Physiology || - Respiratory System Flashcards
- Q: What are the functions of the nasal cavity?
A: Warms and humidifies air
filters particles
- Q: Which bones contain sinuses?
A: Frontal
ethmoid
- Q: Which part of the pharynx is lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium?
A: Nasopharynx.
- Q: Which structure connects the nasal cavity to the nasopharynx?
A: Internal nares.
- Q: What structure is known as the “windpipe”?
A: Trachea.
- Q: What is the function of the epiglottis?
A: Prevents food from entering the trachea during swallowing.
- Q: What are the vocal cords and their function?
A: True vocal cords are elastic folds that produce sound; false cords do not.
- Q: What is the glottis?
A: The space between the vocal cords.
- Q: What structure bifurcates into the larynx and esophagus?
A: Laryngopharynx.
- Q: What are the three branches of the bronchial tree?
A: Primary
secondary (lobar)
- Q: What are the lobes of the lungs?
A: Right: 3 lobes; Left: 2 lobes with cardiac notch.
- Q: What is the hilum?
A: The area on the lung where bronchi
blood vessels
- Q: What are the two types of alveolar cells?
A: Type I (gas exchange) and Type Il (secrete surfactant).
- Q: What is the function of surfactant?
A: Reduces surface tension in alveoli to prevent collapse.
- Q: What is the respiratory membrane composed of?
A: Type I alveolar cell
basement membrane
- Q: What is the pleural cavity?
A: A fluid-filled space between visceral and parietal pleura that reduces friction and keeps lungs
inflated.
- Q: What is Boyle’s Law?
A: Pressure is inversely related to volume (P=1/V).
