Respiratory System Flashcards

1
Q

What are the main functions of the respiratory system

A
  1. Gas exchange between the environment and blood
  2. Control of the acidity of the body
  3. Filtering of the air inhaled
  4. Vocalisation
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2
Q

How many lobes are in each lung

A

Right - 3
Left - 2

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3
Q

What fills the thoracic cavity

A

Lung tissue (with the exception of the mid-sternal line where the heart, major vessels and oesophagus are)

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4
Q

What is the pleural sac

A

A double-walled enclosure of the lungs filled with fluid (pleural fluid)

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5
Q

What is the role of the pleural sac

A

Reduces friction from movement on the surface of the lungs
Fixes lungs firmly on the thoracic wall without any physical attachments

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6
Q

Role of rib cage and spine

A

Offer rigid protection to sensitive organs (heart and lungs)

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7
Q

Role of the muscles (diaphragm, intercostals and abdominals)

A

Support the rib cage and turn the chest into a pump that drives air flow

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8
Q

Functions of the airways

A
  1. Warming of inspired air
  2. Humidification of dry inspired air
  3. Filtration of inhaled foreign materials
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9
Q

What are the turbinates (conchae)

A

Bony dividers that increase the SA of the nasal cavity

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10
Q

What is the vestibule

A

The entrance to the nasal cavity that is the first line of airway defence
Small hairs and mucus in the vestibule help trap inhaled particles so they can be blown back out

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11
Q

What is Boyle’s law

A

P1 x V1 = P2 x V2

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12
Q

What is airflow directly proportional to

A

The pressure difference between two points

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13
Q

What is airflow inversely proportional to

A

The resistance that is created by the airways

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14
Q

What factors affect airway radius

A

Bronchodilation - CO2, epinephrine (via b2 receptors)
Bronchosriction - parasympathetic stimulation (via muscarinic receptor), histamine

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15
Q

What happens to the diaphragm during inspiration

A

It contracts

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16
Q

What happens to the diaphragm during expiration

A

It relaxes

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17
Q

What is the law of LaPlace

A

Pressure = (2xT(surface tension))/radius

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18
Q

What does surfactant contain

A

Proteins that disrupt the forces between water molecules, the result is a reduction in the surface tension of alveolar walls

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19
Q

What does reduced surface tension mean

A
  1. The alveolar spaces are less prone to collapsing
  2. The lung is more complaint and is inflated easier
20
Q

What is spirometry

A

Spirometry is used to measure lung volumes but also to evaluate lung function by measuring variables such as the forced expired volume in one second (FEV1)

21
Q

What measures cannot be measured using a spirometer

A

The functional residual capacity and residual volume

22
Q

What is anatomical dead space

A

Refers to the part of the airways where gas exchange does not take place and is a fixed volume ~150ml

23
Q

What is alveolar dead space

A

Refers to the areas of the lungs where gas exchange can take place but that are not properly perfumed with blood (eg, apex of upright lung)

24
Q

What is minute ventilation

A

The amount of air that is moved by the lungs in one minute

25
Q

Minute ventilation values at rest and maximal exercise

A

Rest- 6l/min
Maximal exercise- 150l/min

26
Q

What is hyperpnoea

A

Minute ventilation increases in proportion to metabolic rate

27
Q

Hyperventilation

A

Minute ventilation increases more than metabolic rate

28
Q

What is Dalton’s law

A

The pressure of a gas mixture is equal to the sum of the pressures of the individual gases

29
Q

What is Fick’s law of diffusion

A

The greater the solubility for a particular gas means a greater rate of diffusion for that gas

30
Q

Why is CO2 more soluble than O2

A

It diffuses across the membrane easier

31
Q

Movement of gas molecules between air and liquid depends on

A

Temperature
Solubility
Pressure difference

32
Q

How to calculate O2 consumption

A

(Volume of inspired O2) - (volume of expired O2)

33
Q

How to calculate CO2 consumption

A

(Volume of inspired CO2) - (volume of expired CO2)

34
Q

What is the law of mass action

A

When a reaction is at equilibrium, the ratio of the substrates and products will remain constant

35
Q

What is haemoglobin

A

An oxygen binding protein contained within RBCs

36
Q

How many polypeptide chains (globins) does each haemoglobin contain

A

4

37
Q

How many haem groups does each haemoglobin contain

A

4

38
Q

What is in the centre of each haemoglobin

A

A ferrous atom (Fe2+) that binds oxygen

39
Q

At what point does CO2 dissolve

A

When CO2 is at equilibrium, because it’s more soluble than O2

40
Q

Carbon dioxide and bicarbonate

A

~70% of all CO2 is carried in the form of bicarbonate ions (HCO-3)

41
Q

Carbon dioxide and haemoglobin

A

~23% of all CO2 is carried bound to haemoglobin

42
Q

How is ventilation involuntary

A

The respiratory muscle groups are controlled by the CNS

43
Q

What types of ventilation are voluntary

A

Hyperventilation
Speaking
Breath holding
Swallowing

44
Q

What are slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptors

A

Located within airway smooth muscle
They are only active when tidal volume approaches the physical limitations of the lung tissue for expansion
This mechanism called the Hering-Brewer reflex protects the lungs by initiating a signal that inhibits inspiration

45
Q

What are rapidly adapting pulmonary stretch receptors (irritant)

A

These receptors are dense in the trachea and large airways
They respond to stimuli such as cigarette smoke, inhaled particles and cold air by initiating reflexes such as coughing and sneezing by causing bronchorestriction

46
Q

What causes the ventilator drive

A

Peripheral chemoreceptors (main stimulus is PO2)
Carotid chemoreceptors
Aortic chemoreceptors

47
Q

What creates the ventilatory drive

A

Central chemoreceptors