Respiratory Physiology

Question 1

What is the main function of the respiratory system?

Answer 1

Provision of oxygen to the body and expulsion of waste carbon dioxide

Question 2

What occurs in aerobic respiration?

Answer 2

Cells use oxygen to produce energy

Question 3

What 2 components make up the respiratory system?

Answer 3

1) upper respiratory tract

2) lower respiratory tract

Question 4

What makes up the upper respiratory tract?

Answer 4

Airway from nose through larynx (and pharynx)

Question 5

What makes up the lower respiratory tract?

Answer 5

Trachea and all components of the lungs (thorax)

Question 6

What are the components of the conduction zone?

Answer 6

Nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchus and bronchioles

Nose to terminal bronchioles

Question 7

What are the functions of the conduction zone?

Answer 7

Conduct air to the lungs

Filters, warms and moistens the area

Question 8

What are the components of the respiratory zone?

Answer 8

Respiratory bronchiole, alveolar duct, alveoli

Question 9

What is the function of the respiratory zone?

Answer 9

Facilitating gas exchange

Oxygen in and carbon dioxide out

Question 10

What are the regions of the lungs?

Answer 10

Lobes

Right- 3 lobes
Left- 2 lobes

Question 11

What is the function of the cardiac notch?

Answer 11

Where the heart and associated blood vessels sit between the 2 lungs

Question 12

What is the pleurae?

Answer 12

Double layered protective membrane covering the lungs

Question 13

What is the parietal visceral pleura?

Answer 13

Visceral pleura- one layer of the protective membrane covering the lungs

Parietal pleura- one layer of the protective membrane lining the walls of the thorax

Very small space between then contain think layer of lubricating pleural fluid

Question 14

What is the function of the pleural fluid?

Answer 14

Reduces friction

Creates pressure gradient

Compartmentalisation

Question 15

What are the 8 functions of the respiratory system?

Answer 15

1) filter, warm and humidity incoming air (and conduction)
2) transport air from outside the body to the lungs (gas exchange)
3) gas exchange between lungs and blood to enable oxygenation of body tissues
4) expel waste products of cell metabolism eg carbon dioxide
5) speech/vocalisation
6) smell
7) pH control
8) lung tissue contains angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)- BP control

Question 16

Where is cilia found and what is it’s function?

Answer 16

Found in the bronchioles

All beat in the same direction- waft particles trapped in mucus to the larynx to be coughed up or swallowed

Question 17

What occurs at the alveoli?

Answer 17

Gas exchange

Question 18

What are the 2 main types of cells that make up the alveoli?

Answer 18

1) type 1 squamous epithelial cells

2) type 2 round/cuboidal epithelial cells

Question 19

What is the function of type 1 squamous epithelial cells?

Answer 19

Thin- aid diffusion

Question 20

What are the functions of type 2 round/cuboidal epithelial cells?

Answer 20

Secrete pulmonary surfactant

Surfactant (made up of phospholipids/proteins) helps lower surface tension- allows alveoli to re-inflate after exhalation and prevents collapsing when breathing out

Question 21

What is alveolar gas exchange?

Answer 21

Movement of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and the blood

Question 22

Where does gas exchange take place?

Answer 22

Across the respiratory membrane (made up of squamous alveolar cells, squamous endothelial capillary cells and shared basement membrane)

Question 23

How to oxygen and carbon dioxide move?

Answer 23

Diffusion

Oxygen- from alveoli to pulmonary venule

Carbon dioxide- pulmonary arteriole to alveoli

Question 24

What adaptations allow for diffusion to take place?

Answer 24

1) large SA of lungs
2) thin respiratory membrane (diffusion fast over short distances)
3) extensive blood supply surrounding alveoli
4) diffusion gradient

Question 25

What is internal respiration?

Answer 25

Process where oxygen is unloaded by tissue capillaries and taken up by tissue cells (reverse for carbon dioxide)

Question 26

What is the equation for aerobic respiration?

Answer 26

Glucose + oxygen - carbon dioxide + water + ATP