Respiratory System Flashcards
what is the respiratory system’s function?
-for exchange of gases between human body and environment
-maintain the pH blood by releasing CO2 (acidic gas)
why is oxygen brought into the body?
for glucose metabolism
why is carbon dioxide brought into the body?
to be expelled by glucose metabolism, which is what oxygen does
where does gas exchange take place?
in the alveoli
which lung is bigger and why?
right lung is bigger than the left left because it has three lobes and the left only has 2 and the heart sits near the left lung
what is pleura?
thick membrane surrounding the lungs
what is pulmonary ventilation?
breathing
what is the first stage of pulmonary ventilation?
-inhalation then exhalation/desperation
during inhalation, what happens?
-thoracic cavity expands and diaphragm muscle contracts or pushes downwards which decreases the pressure in the lungs and pulls in air from atmosphere
before air entering into the trachea, what happens to it?
it gets filtered through cilia and mucus
trachea is aka and what is it
aka windpipes and is the airway that leads from the larynx (voice box) to the bronchi
sequence of air inhalation:
air enters nasal and mouth cavity, travels to the pharynx (back of the throat), passes to the larynx (voice-box), down the trachea, to the bronchi (divisions of trachea), which leads to smaller bronchi (bronchioles), then alveoli where gas exchange occurs
epiglottis
covers the esophagus so that air doesn’t enter digestive track
when does the diaphragm contract? relax?
-contracts during inhalation due to expanded lungs
-relaxes during exhalation due to contracted lungsdis
what are alveoli?
tiny sacs located at the end of the smallest bronchioles where gas exchange with blood occurs.
what happens during the gas exchange with blood within the alveoli?
-oxygen diffuses into the blood with carbon dioxide is diffused out
what is released during exhalation
-carbon dioxide
asthma
airways are compromised due to dysfunctional immune response
pulmonary embolism
a blood clot that travels to the lungs that causes pain and low O2
upper respiratory tract infections affect what? lower?
-uppper: nose and throat
-lower: lungs and immediate pulmonary inputs
viral infections of the respiratory system:
influenza, cold
bacterial infections of the respiratory system:
-tuberculosis and pertussis (whooping cough)
pneumonia
inflammation of lungs that affects alveoli
what is the trachea made up of
cartilage rings that keep it from collapsing
alveoli have type II alveolar cells that release?
release a lipoprotein called surfactant which reduces surface tension
what is the area between the lungs called and what is located here?
mediastinum and the heart is to the left side
what are bronchopulmonary segments?
is what divides the lungs into lobes and each segment/lobe receive air from its own bronchus and receives blood from its own artery
what does the pulmonary system do? (referring with systemic system)
it sends blow low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide to the lungs where oxygen is picked and CO2 is dropped off then to the heart and the rest of the body
as oxygen is consumed by cells…
the blood becomes deoxygenated and is returned to the heart
what is diffusion?
-gas exchange?
-a passive transport mechanism
-gas exchange in lungs occurs by diffusion
rate of diffusion is?
directly proportional to the surface area involved and the concentration gradient and is in inversely proportional to the distance between two solutions
-rate of diffusion increases if the distance between blood cells and the alveoli is decreased
what happens during diffusion?
- oxygen in lungs move into blood and carbon dioxide in blood move into the lungs. then lungs exhale the CO2 back to the atmosphere.
- heart’s pulmonary vessels enter the lungs with the blood having a low concentration of oxygen. the capillaries have a high concentration of oxygen from the inhaled air
- molecules move from regions of high concentration to regions of low concentration. thin alveolar epithelium allows the diffusion
- capillaries contain high levels of CO2 while alveoli contain high levels of O2 and a low level of CO2
- this causes diffusion of CO2 into the alveoli and O2 into the blood capillaries
what does ventilation occur as?
a combination of muscle action and negative pressure
to increase the volume of the lungs, what contracts?
the diaphragm and intercostal muscles between the ribs simultaneously which decrease the pressure in the lungs and draws in air
the diaphragm and the intercostal muscles relax and?
causes a reduction in lung volume and an increase in pressure in the lungs and causes air to be pushed out
what is the tidal volume?
the amount of air breathed in and out of the lungs during a normal breath
what is residual volume?
what makes the vital capacity?
what makes the inspiratory capacity?
what makes the functional residual capacity?
what makes the total lung capacity?
-a small amount of air rich in CO2 which remains trapped in alveoli after expiration and mixes with air rich in oxygen brought in through inspiration. air that resides in the lungs and left there
-residual volume + expiratory reserve volume = vital capacity
-tidal volume + inspiratory reserve volume = inspiratory capacity
-IC + VC aka resting point
vital capacity + residual volume
what part of the brain controls breathing and how?
the medulla oblongata through monitoring CO2 levels and blood pH
if blood pH starts to decrease, then?
respiration rates will increase to balance CO2 and O2 levels
what is the condition of asthmatic people?
they have narrow airways of the respiratory system which results from swelling of airways or mucus buildup
the effects of environmental pollutant (chemicals, pollen, smoke) can?
impede lung function by damaging cilia or causing emphysema (shortness of breath), allergies and inflammation
what are genetic conditions for the respiratory system?
-lung surfactant insufficient, asthma, cystic fibrosis (mucus that is too thick and sticky, which. blocks airways and leads to lung damage; traps germs and makes infections more likely)
pathogen diseases and their meaning
-influenza (infection of the nose, throat and lungs)
-tuberculosis (infectious disease that mainly affects the lung)
-pneumonia (lung inflammation caused by bacterial or viral infection, in which the air sacs fill with pus and may become solid)
if the tidal volume in the lung increases, what occurs in the blood?
increase diffusion of carbon dioxide out of the bloodstream. Oxygen will increase in the bloodstream
