Respiratory airways

Question 1

What are the three main functions of the respiratory tract?

Answer 1

1. Regulate the temp of inspired air.
2. humidify inspired air.
3. act as a filter and defence function.

Question 2

What is the first line of defence in the respiratory airways?

Answer 2

hair and skin folds in the nose.

Question 3

What 3 things do the turbinates create in the superior meatus?

Answer 3

1. olfactory epithelium
2. cribriform plate.
3. sphenoid sinus.

Question 4

Where are the frontal sinuses located?

Answer 4

within the frontal bone on the midline septum and over the orbit of the eye and across the superciliary arch.

Question 5

Which nerve supplies the frontal sinus?

Answer 5

a branch of the 5th cranial nerve.

Question 6

What shape are the maxillary sinus? and where do these sides correspond to?

Answer 6

They are pyramidal in shape.
The apex is the zygomatic process of the maxilla.
The floor is the alveolar process.
The roof is the orbit.

Question 7

where do the maxillary sinuses drain into?

Answer 7

the hiatus semilunaris.

Question 8

Where are the ethmoid sinuses located?

Answer 8

they are located between the eyes and they are labyrinth in shape [like an aero].

Question 9

where does the sphenoid sinus drain into?

Answer 9

into the sphenoethmidal recess, lateral to the attachment of the nasal septum.

Question 10

where is the sphenoid sinus located?

Answer 10

medial to the cavernous sinus and inferior to the optic canal, dura and pituitary gland.

Question 11

what epithelia line the pharynx?

Answer 11

squamous and columnar ciliated epithelia.

Question 12

what are the Eustachian tubes?

Answer 12

they are small tubes that supply air to the middle ear and are used for pressure equalisation.

Question 13

where are the pharyngeal tonsils situated?

Answer 13

they are situated on the posterior wall of the nasopharynx.

Question 14

where is the oropharynx situated?

Answer 14

anterior to the soft palate.

Question 15

What are the two folds in the oropharynx?

Answer 15

palatogossal folds.

palatopharyngeal folds.

Question 16

Where is the hyoid bone positioned with respect to the oropharynx?

Answer 16

the oropharynx is located inferior to the hyoid bone.

Question 17

how many cartilages are there in the pharynx?

Answer 17

9, these are often doubled up with muscles.

Question 18

what is the role of the larynx?

Answer 18

valvular function.

Question 19

how are the vocal chords changed?

Answer 19

the arytenoid cartilage rotates on the cricoid cartilage to change the vocal chords.

Question 20

which two nerves supple the pharynx?

Answer 20

the superior pharyngeal nerve and the recurrent pharyngeal nerve

Question 21

what structures consist of a double layer of cartilage?

Answer 21

Cuneiform, corniculate, arytenoid.

Question 22

what structures consist of a single layer of cartilage?

Answer 22

epiglottis, thyroid, cricoid.

Question 23

which part of the airway system is classified as ‘lower respiratory tract’?

Answer 23

The trachea down to the alveoli.

Question 24

where does the trachea run between?

Answer 24

the carina and the larynx.

Question 25

What is the structure of the cartilage in the trachea?

Answer 25

in cross section the trachea is oval shaped. It is deficient in cartilage in the posterior aspect and described as ‘half complete’

Question 26

what epithelia lies in the trachea?

Answer 26

it is pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelial cells with goblet cells incorporated.

Question 27

Which main bronchus is more vertically disposed?

Answer 27

the right main bronchus is more vertically disposed and also shorter.

Question 28

why is the right main bronchus more vertically disposed?

Answer 28

it is related to the pulmonary artery.

Question 29

how many lobar bronchi are there?

Answer 29

5. they are related to the lobes on the lung. 3 on the right and 2 on the left.

Question 30

what are the interconnections between the alveoli?

Answer 30

Pores of Kohn

Question 31

Can gas exchange take place in the terminal bronchioles?

Answer 31

yes a small amount of gas exchange can occur in terminal bronchioles.

Question 32

what are alveolar ducts?

Answer 32

they are small tubes with multiple alveoli attached.

Question 33

what is the difference between the two types of pneumocytes?

Answer 33

Type 1 - create the pavement

Type 2 - create surfactant

Question 34

what type of epithelia is there in the alveoli?

Answer 34

it is simple squamous epithelia.

Question 35

How is the alveoli structure adapted for gas exchange?

Answer 35

large surface area and a thin transfer layer.

Question 36

which layers of the pleura is attached to the lung surface?

Answer 36

the visceral layer

Question 37

what does the parasympathetic system control regarding the respiratory tract.

Answer 37

Bronchoconstriction.

Question 38

how many cell layers is each layer of the pleura?

Answer 38

only one cell layer thick.

Question 39

how many orders of branching are there for the blood supply to the lung?

Answer 39

17 orders of branching.

Question 40

which system is responsible for bronchodilation?

Answer 40

they sympathetic system.

Question 41

Where is the highest amount for V/Q.

Answer 41

at the apex of the lungs due to gravity.

Question 42

what is meant by the regulation of airway tone?

Answer 42

airway smooth muscle is regulated, it can contract and relax to regulate airway diameter.

Question 43

how is the airway smooth muscle regulated?

Answer 43

it is regulated by inflammation and by the autonomic nervous system.

Question 44

What are the two branches of the peripheral autonomic nervous system?

Answer 44

the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. [typically have opposing effects]

Question 45

How is the airway muscle stimulated to constrict?

Answer 45

vagus nerve neurons terminate in the airway wall and short post-synaptic nerve fibres reach the muscle and release ACh which stimulates the muscle cells.

Question 46

Why is excessive brochoconstriction bad?

Answer 46

it causes conditions like COPD and asthma as it restricts the airflow into the lung.

Question 47

What is the role of LAMAs?

[Long-acting muscarinic antagonist]

Answer 47

they have a long lasting effect on increasing bronchodilation to relieve breathlessness and can reduce exacerbations.

Question 48

What is the difference in the effect of SABAs and LABAs?

Answer 48

They both used for the prevention of bronchoconstriction, SABAs are short acting and LABAs are long acting.