Respiratory System Flashcards
Upper respiratory system
Paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity, nose, pharynx
Lower respiratory system
Larynx, trachea, bronchi, right and left lung
Respiratory functions
Supplies o2
removes co2
produces sound
Circulates air for olfaction
Protects and defends against pathogens
Respiratory mucosa (respiratory epithelium)
Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium
Mucus traps debris and cilia sweeps it toward the pharynx to expel debris
Nose
Provides airway (external nares = nostrils)
Moistens and warms air
Resonating chamber for speech
Vibrissae
Nose hairs
Filter air as it enters vestibule
What does chemoreceptors do in olfaction
Chemoreceptors in olfactory mucosa bind odour molecules
What does nasal conchae do
Create swirling air currents
Facilitates olfaction/filtering
Lining
Respiratory mucosa + olfactory mucosa
Serous cells (secrete watery fluid)
Goblet cells (secrete mucus)
Anosmia
Loss of the sense of smell
Pharynx (throat)
Nasopharynx, oropharynx, laryngopharynx
Nasopharynx
Drains nasal cavity and pharyngotympanic tube
Uvula prevents food from entering nasal cavity
Pharyngeal tonsil (adenoid) in nasopharynx
Oropharynx
Common passage for food and air
Lingual + palantine tonsils here
Laryngopharynx
Opening to esophagus and larynx here
Larynx (voicebox)
Provides open airway (continuous with trachea)
Houses vocal folds (“true vocal cords”)
Structure of larynx
9 cartilages (linked by membranes + ligaments anchored to hyoid bone)
Thyroid cartilage + cricoid cartilage + 3 smaller pair of cartilage (hyaline cartilage) + epiglottal cartilage (elastic cartilage)
Epiglottis (guardian of airway)
Blocks glottis (entrance to trachea)
Prevents food from entering trachea when swallowing
Vocal folds (true vocal cords)
Ligaments (elastic tissue) vibrates to produce sounds
Glottis
Air passes through this opening to trachea
Vestibular folds
“False vocal cords”
Not involved in sound production
Why does the male voice change during puberty?
Cartilages enlarge; must learn to adjust tension on vocal folds
Trachea (windpipe)
16 - 20 c shaped rings of hyalin cartilage (linked by membranes and smooth muscle)
Bronchial tree
Primary bronchus - to each lung
Secondary bronchus - to each lobe of lung
Tertiary bronchus - to each lung segment
Smallest branches
Bronchioles (<1 mm diameter)
What does bronchioles lack?
Bronchioles lack cartilage; have smooth muscles that regulate air flow
Bronchodilation
Sympathetic division makes the smooth muscle relax; increasing diameter
Bronchoconstriction
Parasympathetic division makes smooth muscle to contract; decreasing in diameter
What happens during an asthma attack
Muscles of the bronchial tubes tighten and thicken and the air passages become inflamed and mucus filed, making it difficult for air to move
Lungs
Bronchioles terminate in respiratory bronchioles which leads into clusters of alveolar ducts + alveoli = lobules
Lung alveoli (“air sacs”)
Simple squamous epithelium making it thin and permeable
Simple squamous cells called type 1 alveolar cells
Covered in a web of capillaries and elastic fibers
Site of gas exchange
Where does gas exchange occur?
It occurs across the respiratory membrane
= alveolar epithelium + capillary endothelium + fused basal laminae
How many lobes does the right lung have?
3 lobes
How many lungs foes the left lung have and why?
2 lobes, the left lung is smaller because of the “cardiac notch” = to make room for the large left ventricle of the heart
Pleural membrane of the lungs
Visceral pleura + parietal pleura (form fluid-filed pleural cavity)
