respiratory Flashcards
Structurally
❑ Upper respiratory system
◼ Nose, pharynx and associated structures
❑ Lower respiratory system
◼ Larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs
Functionally
❑ Conducting zone – conducts air to lungs
◼ Nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and terminal bronchioles
❑ Respiratory zone – main site of gas exchange
◼ Respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, alveolar sacs, and alveoli
Respiratory System Anatomy
External nose – portion visible on face
❑ Internal nose – large cavity beyond nasal vestibule
❑ Internal nares or choanae
❑ Ducts from paranasal sinuses and nasolacrimal ducts open into internal nose
Nose
◼ Nasal cavity divided by nasal septum
◼ Nasal conchae subdivide cavity into meatuses
❑ Increase surface are and prevents dehydration
◼ Olfactory receptors in olfactory epithelium
❑ Starts at internal nares and extends to cricoid cartilage of
larynx
❑ Contraction of skeletal muscles assists in deglutition
❑ Functions
◼ Passageway for air and food
◼ Resonating chamber
◼ Houses tonsils
Pharynx
❑ 3 anatomical regions
◼ Nasopharynx
◼ Oropharynx
◼ Laryngopharynx
Short passageway connecting laryngopharynx with trachea
❑ Composed of 9 pieces of cartilage
◼ Thyroid cartilage or Adam’s apple
◼ Cricoid cartilage hallmark for tracheotomy
❑ Epiglottis closes off glottis during swallowing
❑ Glottis – pair of folds of mucous membranes, vocal folds(true vocal cords, and rima glottidis (space)
❑ Cilia in upper respiratory tract move mucous and trapped
particles down toward pharynx
❑ Cilia in lower respiratory tract move them up toward
pharynx
Larynx
❑ Function in holding breath against pressure in thoracic
cavity
Ventricular folds (false vocal cords) – superior pair
Muscle contraction pulls elastic ligaments which stretch
vocal folds out into airway
❑ Vibrate and produce sound with air
❑ Folds can move apart or together, elongate or shorten,
tighter or looser
Vocal folds (true vocal cords) – inferior pair
Androgens make folds thicker and longer – slower
vibration and lower pitch
Extends from larynx to superior border of T5
◼ Divides into right and left primary bronchi
❑ 4 layers
◼ Mucosa
◼ Submucosa
◼ Hyaline cartilage
◼ Adventitia
❑ 16-20 C-shaped rings of hyaline cartilage
◼ Open part faces esophagus
Trachea
❑ Right and left primary bronchus goes to right lung
❑ Carina – internal ridge
◼ Most sensitive area for triggering cough reflex
❑ Divide to form bronchial tree
◼ Secondary lobar bronchi (one for each lobe), tertiary
(segmental) bronchi, bronchioles, terminal bronchioles
Bronchi
❑ Structural changes with branching
◼ Mucous membrane changes
◼ Incomplete rings become plates and then disappear
◼ As cartilage decreases, smooth muscle increases
❑ Sympathetic ANS – relaxation/ dilation
❑ Parasympathetic ANS – contraction/ constriction
Separated from each other by the heart and other
structures in the mediastinum
❑ Each lung enclosed by double-layered pleural membrane
◼ Parietal pleura – lines wall of thoracic cavity
◼ Visceral pleura – covers lungs themselves
❑ Pleural cavity is space between layers
◼ Pleural fluid reduces friction, produces surface tension (stick
together)
◼ Cardiac notch – heart makes left lung 10% smaller
than right
Lungs
Lobes – each lung divides by 1 or 2 fissures
❑ Each lobe receives it own secondary (lobar) bronchus that branch into tertiary (segmental) bronchi
◼ Lobules wrapped in elastic connective tissue and contains a lymphatic vessel, arteriole, venule and
branch from terminal bronchiole
◼ Terminal bronchioles branch into respiratory
bronchioles which divide into alveolar ducts
◼ About 25 orders of branching
Anatomy of Lungs
Cup-shaped outpouching
❑ Alveolar sac – 2 or more alveoli sharing a
common opening
Alveoli
❑ 2 types of alveolar epithelial cells
◼ Type I alveolar cells – form nearly continuous lining,
more numerous than type II, main site of gas exchange
◼ Type II alveolar cells (septal cells) – free surfaces
contain microvilli, secrete alveolar fluid (surfactant
reduces tendency to collapse)
❑ Alveolar wall – type I and type II alveolar cells
❑ Epithelial basement membrane
❑ Capillary basement membrane
❑ Capillary endothelium
❑ Very thin – only 0.5 µm thick to allow rapid diffusion of gases
Respiratory membrane
Lungs receive blood from
❑ Pulmonary artery - deoxygenated blood
❑ Bronchial arteries – oxygenated blood to perfuse muscular
walls of bronchi and bronchioles
◼ Respiration (gas exchange) steps
- Pulmonary ventilation/ breathing
◼ Inhalation and exhalation
◼ Exchange of air between atmosphere and alveoli - External (pulmonary) respiration
◼ Exchange of gases between alveoli and blood - Internal (tissue) respiration
◼ Exchange of gases between systemic capillaries and
tissue cells
◼ Supplies cellular respiration (makes ATP)