Respiratory Physiology Flashcards
What is respiration?
The production of ATP from organic molecules - not breathing!
What is aerobic respiration?
Taking of oxygen in and combining it with glucose to produce ATP and produce CO2 and water as byproducts
What are the byproducts of aerobic respiration?
CO2 and Water
Where does breathing and gas exchange come in?
Oxygen and CO2
Where does unoxygenated blood enter the heart via? and in which atrium?
Vena cava in the right atrium
What is the pulmonary circuit?
The process of blood being oxygenated via leaving the right pulmonary artery and returning via the left atrium and left ventricle, being returned via the aortic artery.
What is ‘bulk flow’?
Flow due to a pressure gradient and this pressure occurs when we breathe. To move a large number of molecules at one time.
Where are motor sensors for up or downregulating your breathing?
Cerebellum, coming off the pons and medulla
What are chemoreceptors?
Detect different gases in the blood
Hypoxia (low O2)
Hypercapnia (High CO2)
High protons/hydrogen ions (Acidosis)
Where are chemoreceptors located?
In the aortic arch and carotid bodies (arteries going to the neck)
Which lung has an extra fissure (3 lobes instead of 2)?
Right; the Transverse Fissure
Whats the role of the epiglottis?
Trapdoor; dual chamber for food vs. air
When we swallow we push tongue up and the chamber moves, the epiglottis closes over the trachea and shuts airway
What divides the upper and lower respiratory tract?
The vocal cords (laryngeal folds)
What the ‘jacket of the lungs’?
The Pleural
What’s the deep to superficial pleural order?
Visceral, pleural space and Parietal
Describe the visceral pleural
Sits like a 2nd skin on top of the lungs, it’s wet, thin and fragile
Describe the Parietal pleural
Outer membrane that attaches to and lines the thoracic cavity
When we breathe what happens to the lungs, diaphragm, pleural space and the intercostal muscles?
Lungs go up Diaphragm goes down and Pleural Space gets bigger. External intercostal contract, internal relax
What happens to the diaphragm when breathing in?
It contracts and goes down
What happens to the external intercostal muscles when we breathe in?
They contract and move the ribcage upwards to allow expansion of the thoracic cavity(the internal relax)
What do the intercostal muscles do?
They’re between the ribs and manipulate the width of the rib cage
Where does gas exchange occur?
In the alveoli
What is Boyle’s Law?
The inverse relationship between volume and pressure. When volume decreases, pressure increases. Lungs use this to compress oxygen and force it into the capillaries.
How many layers are there of alveolar diffusion? What are they?
Oxygen has 4 layers to diffuse across. Oxygen dissolves into the surfactant lining the alveoli –> alveoli epithelium –> epithelial basement membrane –> capillary basement and capillary endothelial cells
How many binding sites for oxygen do the red blood cells (haemoglobin) carry?
4
Fick’s Law - what is rate of diffusion inversely proportional to?
Rate of diffusion is inversely proportional to membrane thickness
Fick’s Law - what is rate of diffusion directly proportional to?
1) Difference in partial pressure of gas in alveoli and capillary blood
2) Difference in surface area of the membrane
What is the apneustic centre?
The apneustic centre is located in the lower pons and stimulates neurons in the medulla (dorsal root ganglia) to facilitate inhaling. Additionally, it regulates the intensity of respiration/depth of inhalation. Stimulates the DRG whereas pneumotaxic inhibit the DRG.
What is the pontine respiratory group?
Located in the pons consists of apneustic and pneumatic centre
What does the ventral respiratory group do?
In the Medulla, resulting in forced inspiration but mainly in forced expiration. Neurons in ventral root ganglia stimulate accessory muscles in forced breathing to contract.
What is a pneumothorax?
Collapsed lung. Build up between pleura layers.
Where is the respiratory centre found within the brainstem?
Medulla
What is the pneumotaxic centre?
Inhibit neurons in the apneustic centre and thus relax after inspiration and thus control heart rate.
What is the dorsal root ganglia involved in?
Maintaining a constant breathing rhythm. DRG stops it no longer stimulates the diaphragm in expiration.
