Respiratory System 1 Flashcards
What are the functions of the respiratory system?
- Primary functions - air conduction, filtration, & gas exchange
- Secondary functions - olfaction in nasal cavity & phonation (vocalization) from larynx
- Respiration divided into mechanical respiration & cellular respiration
What is mechanical respiration versus cellular respiration?
- Mechanical respiration associated with lungs—functions in gas exchange
- O2 carried to tissues for cellular respiration (oxidative metabolism => ATP, energy)
What are the conducting structures of the respiratory system?
nasal cavity, nasopharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles & terminal bronchioles
What are the respiratory portions of the respiratory system?
respiratory bronchioles to alveoli
What are the common features of the series of tubes in the respiratory system?
epithelium
lamina propria
adventitia
Wall ________ in thickeness from the nasal cavity to the alveoli
decreases
What type of epithelium lines most of the respiratory tract?
ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium with goblet cells
What is the area of loose connective tissue in the respiratory system called?
lamina propria
What does the lamina propria of the respiratory system contain?
loose connective tissue
mucous glands
elastic fibers
bone/cartilage
smooth muscle
What are the five cell types found in the respiratory epithelium?
- Ciliated columnar cells
- Goblet cells
- Brush cells
- Basal cells
- Small granule cells
What produces the movement that moves mucus and/or particulate matter towards the pharynx?
ciliated columnar cells
What are the first and second most abundant cell types in the respiratory epithelium?
- ciliated columnar cells
- goblet cells
What is the function of the goblet cells?
synthesize and secrete mucus
What disease causes infertility in men and chronic respiratory tract infections in both sexes?
Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (Immotile cilia syndrome)
What causes Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (Immotile cilia syndrome)?
cilia and flagella are immobile (sometimes due to a deficinecy in dynein)
What is contained in goblet cells?
large, light-staining granules
* Hydrophilic glycoproteins called mucins
* Extracellularly become hydrated to form mucus, a viscous protective lubricating gel
Where in the respiratory tract do the goblet cells taper off in abundance?
terminal bronchioles
What is the term for the cells ability to change from one epithelium to another (such as in smoker’s respiratory epithelium)?
metaplasia
What type of epithelium do smoker’s respiratory epithelium change to?
stratified squamous (used to be ciliated columnar)
What does smoking cause to happen in the respiratory system due to the lack of ciliated columnar cells?
- Decrease in ciliated columnar cells - decrease in movement of mucus
- Increase in goblet cells - protect against pollutants
- Congestion of smaller airways
- SMOKER’S MELANOSIS - Benign focal pigmentations of oral mucosa
Which cells are small round stem cells that lie on the basal lamina and give rise to ciliated columnar, goblet, and brush cells?
basal cells
What type of cells located in the respiratory tract are part of the diffuse enteroendocrine system and secrete various GI hormones?
Kulchitsky or K cells
What effect do the Kulchitsky or K cells probably have?
may exert a paracrine effect on goblet cell secretion & ciliary activity
- historical remnants of evolutionary orgins from gut
What type of respiratory cells are columnar-shaped cells that have microvilli and afferent nerve endings?
brush cells
What do the seromucous glands do in the lamina propria of the respiratory system?
secrete a fluid intermediate between a watery & a viscous substance
Where is the skeletal connective tissue in the lamina propria located?
- NASAL CAVITY: Bone & cartilage
- Larynx/Trachea: Hyaline cartilage only
- NOT in bronchioles
Where is smooth muscle located in the lamina propria of the respiratory system?
- Begins in trachea (joins open ends of C-shaped rings)
- In bronchi
- Along bronchiole tree (decreases slowly)
- NOT in Alveolar sac
What occurs with the smooth muscle during asthma?
smooth muscle undergoes prolonged contraction during expiration
* Difficulty in expelling air from lungs
What is commonly used to relax bronchiolar muscles during asthma attacks?
Steroids & b2-agonists
What is in the adventitia of the lamina propria in the respiratory system?
Collagen & elastic
fibers
What do the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses provide extensive surface for?
warming, moistening & filtering inspired air
Each nasal cavity, separated by the septum, contains what?
a vestibule, a respiratory portion and an olfactory portion
What conditions the inspired air before it reaches the lungs?
- Hairs in the nose to remove course particles of dust
- Superficial vascular network in lamina propria warms inspired air
- Mucous & serous glands in lamina propria moisten inspired air (protect epithelium from dessication)
What in the nasal cavity causes airflow turbulence and facilitates contact between the air and mucus blanket covering the respiratory region?
nasal conchae or turbinates
What are the four paranasal sinuses?
Frontal, ethmoid, maxillary & sphenoid
What are the possible functions of the paranasal sinuses?
- air conditioning or circulation related to olfaction
- reduction of skull weight
- heat insulation
- vocal resonance and diminution of auditory feedback
- allowing for developmental features of facial growth & differentiation
- or no function
What are the three regions of the pharynx?
nasopharynx
oropharynx
laryngopharynx
