Respiratory structures and processes Flashcards
What are the four structural features that make the respiratory system FUNCTIONAL.
1) Thin permeable membrane for diffusion
2) Large surface area for gas exchange
3) Good blood supply, needed for oxygen to be transported to the other cells in the body.
(Oxygen binds to the hemoglobin in the blood)
4) Breathing system to bring in oxygen.
(respiratiory system has evolved to be efficent, but these 4 steps are for it to function properly)
What is the pathway of air?
Mouth/nose (warmed through your nasal passages) → Pharynx (back of your throat)→ Larynx (vocal box, epiglotiss remains upright) → Glottis (the oppening to the trachea) → trachea → Bronchi → Bronchioles → Alveoli. (Where it is diffused into your capiliaries and transported to your body cells)
Lungs encompass your bronchi, bronchiolies, and your alveoli.
What is the function of the nose/mouth in the respiratory system?
-How air enters the respiratory system
-Lined with nose hairs to trap bacteria and dust (assisted by mucus produced by nose)
- Mouth warms and moistens the air,
- Nose mositen air and warms it within its nasal passages
(Why? Warm and moisture = preventing damage + easier to diffuse)
(Mouth provides less protections to dust and bacteria, however in the trachea there is a second line of protection)
What is the role of the pharynx?
It connects the nose and mouth to the larynx, serving as a passageway for air and food.
(Back of the throat)
(Before the layrnx) What is epliglottis?
The epiglottis remains upright when breathing (to allow air to go into the trachea)
–> Epilgottis is down when good is being ingested (as a safety mechanism to prevent food going into your windpipe)
Epliglottis: a flap of tissue
What is the layrnx? (in reference to men + how does it work)
Voice box:
Produces sounds because it has 2 thin ligaments (known as vocal cords)
–> As air is forced out of the lungs, it creates vibrations through the layrnx, these virbations produce sound.
Men = larer vocal cords = lower frequency of vibrations = lower voice
Describe the structure and function of the trachea
The trachea, or windpipe, semi ridid tube of sode tissue that has C-shaped cartilage rings to keep it open and prevent collapse, allowing air to pass to the bronchi.
–> a tube that connects the respiratory system
—> band of caritlage = less easy to break (not fully made out of cartilage therefore cannot break like bones)
–> not fully made out of soft tissue therefore cannot be “kinked” (postionied at a sharp angle to not work)
–> therefore its structure of being semi-ridiged with cartilage = harder to break.
CARTILAGE KEEPS the trachea open. because if it was soft tissue in weird positions it can close.
What is the trachea lined with? / its internal structure?
–> made of globlet cells and cilia.
globel cells = “mucus producing cells” providing a second line of defense. (Produces mucus to trap particles)
Cillia: tiny hair like structures that sweep foreign particles, up and out the trachea/respiratory system (Brushing things up results in coughing or sneezing)
What are bronchi and bronchioles?
The bronchi are two main air passages leading into each lung; bronchioles are smaller branches within the lungs.
connects the trachea to each lung.
There is a left bronchus and a right bronchus
Bronchi (plurial), bronchus (singular)
Encompassed by the lungs.
What is the “respiratory tree”
Bronchi –> left bronchus and richg bronchus –> bronchiolies –> alveolies (Plurial) —> alveolus (singular)
Lungs, what are they> (what 3 requirements do they fullfill, what is within them that serves great importance?
–> A major organ within the system, allows us to have air/oxygen.
–> Protected by the ribcage.
1) Large surface area (from the alveoli
2) Avoli have a thin membrane for diffusion (one cell layer thick
3) Rich in blood supply (surrunded in a network of capallaries)
–> The system/process of ventiliation is why we have the supply of oxygen.
(BONUS) air is moist, therefore oxygen can easiy diffuse into the blood stream (OXYGEN CANNOT DIFFUSE ACCORSS A MEMBRANE UNLESS IT IS LIQUID)
contains alveoli which is the site of gas exchange
What prevents the trachea from collapsing?
C-shaped cartilage rings around the trachea keep it open and prevent collapse.
What is aveoli?
Cluster of small air sacs, where gas exchange occurs (Between o2 and co2)
–> Abudant within your lungs. (very small but large total surface area)
How are alveoli perfected adapted to gas exchange? (4)
1) large surface area, very small and abdudant (large surface area = more gas exchange)
2) 1 cell thin, very thin thereofre easier to diffuse from and to, because the distance is smaller/easier.
3) Network of capillairies surround them (therefore has a constont blood flow) (Capilliaries provide them a place for oxygen to diffuse into)
4) Aveoli membranes are moist (in order for oxygen to diffuse, it must be dissolved in a liqud.
How does oxygen travel?
Aveolies (lungs) –> capiliaries (blood vessels)
–> Diffusing into the blood
[From high concentration to low concentration of oxygen]
