Respiratory System

Question 1

What is pulmonary ventilation?

Answer 1

The act of inspiration and expiration

Question 2

What is external respiration?

Answer 2

Diffusion of oxygen from the lungs to the pulmonary capillaries and CO2 from the pulmonary capillaries to the lungs

Question 3

What is internal respiration?

Answer 3

Diffusion of oxygen from the blood to the tissues and CO2 from the tissues to the blood

Question 4

What is cellular respiration?

Answer 4

The actual use of oxygen and the production of CO2

Question 5

How is the respiratory system involved in the sense of smell and speech?

Answer 5

Because it moves air

Question 6

What are the parts of the respiratory system?

Answer 6

Upper respiratory system:

1) nose

2) paranasal sinuses

3) pharynx

Lower respiratory system:

1) larynx

2) trachea

3) bronchi & their branches

4) lungs containing the alveoli

Question 7

What is rhinitis?

Answer 7

Caused by:

1) cold viruses

2) streptococcal bacteria

3) various allergens

It is the inflammation of the nasal mucosa associated with excessive mucus production, nasal congestion, & post nasal drip can cause sinusitis (inflamed sinuses) as there is connection between the nose and other parts of the body where the disease can spread causing sinus headache de to the blockage of the passageways connecting the sinuses to the nasal cavity

Question 8

What happens if the adenoid (pharyngeal tonsils) are inflamed and swollen?

Answer 8

They block the air passage in the nasopharynx, breathing through the mouth not moistening the air properly or filtering it before it reaches the lungs disturbing speech and sleep

Question 9

What is laryngitis?

Answer 9

Inflammation of the vocal folds, causing them to swell interfering with their vibration changing the vocal tone, most often caused by viral infections, overusing the voice, bacteria, tumor or inhalation of irritants

Question 10

What is meant by cafe coronaries and Heimlich maneuver?

Answer 10

Cafe coronaries are blockage to the airways due to the entry of objects into the trachea where Heimlich maneuver is a way to push that foreign body out of the obstructed air way

Question 11

Where is the location of the nose?

Answer 11

It is the only externally visible part of the respiratory system

Question 12

What is the structure of the nose?

Answer 12

1) external nose which has the nostrils/nares as their opening

2) internal nasal cavity

• divided in the middle by the nasal septum (formed by the septal cartilage, vomer & ethmoid bone)
• posterior nasal apertures continuities the nasal cavity with the pharynx
• its roof is formed by ethmoid and sphenoid bone
• the floor is formed by the palate (soft & hard separate the nasal and oral cavity)
• nasal vestibulae superior to each nostril, lined with sebaceous & sweat glands & hair follicles which filter the particles
• lined with two types of mucosa (1, olfactory mucosa (superior region of the nasal cavity with smell receptors) 2, respiratory mucosa (lines most of the nasal cavity with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium containing goblet cells resting on a lamina propria supplied with seromucous nasal glands which secretes a watery fluid containing an enzyme)) nasal mucosa has sensory nerve endings which initiates the sneeze reflex
• under the epithelium they have rich capillaries and veins which warms the air
• nasal conchae (superior, middle & inferior) increases the mucosal surface area exposed to air and enhances air turbulence in the cavity helping in filtering the particles they also reclaim the heat during expiration

Question 13

What is the function of the nose?

Answer 13

1) provides an air way for respiration

2) moistens and warms entering air

3) filters & cleanse inspired air

4) resonating chamber for speech

5) houses olfactory (smell) receptors

6) produces mucus

Question 14

Where is the location of the paranasal sinuses?

Answer 14

1) frontal bone

2) sphenoid bone

3) ethmoid bone

4) maxillary bone

Question 15

What is the structure of the paranasal sinuses?

Answer 15

In the nasal cavity inside the cavity of the bones

Question 16

What is the function of the paranasal sinuses?

Answer 16

1) lightens the skull

2) help warm, filter and moisten the air

3) produces mucus for the nasal cavity

Question 17

Where is the location of the pharynx?

Answer 17

Extends from the base of the skull to the sixth cervical vertebrae

Question 18

What is the structure of the pharynx?

Answer 18

Connects the nasal and mouth cavity to the larynx & esophagus divided into three regions they have a muscular wall:

1) nasopharynx (pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium, propels mucus, it has the pharyngeal tonsils “adenoids” which traps and destroys the pathogens entering, it also has the opening of thee pharyngotympanic tube which drains the middle ear cavity)

2) oropharynx (stratified squamous epithelium which accommodates the increase friction and chemical trauma continuous with the oral cavity via the isthmus of the fauces, it has the palatine tonsils but thee lingual tonsils is at the posterior of the tongue)

3) laryngopharynx (stratified squamous epithelium)

Question 19

What is the function of the pharynx?

Answer 19

1) passage for air and food

2) exposes the immune system to inhaled antigens

Question 20

List the structure air passes by when it enters from the nose to the larynx

Answer 20

Nose - nasal cavity - nasopharynx - oropharynx - laryngopharynx - larynx

Question 21

What are the type of mucous membrane found in the nasal cavity?

Answer 21

1) olfactory mucosa

2) respiratory mucosa

Question 22

What is the conducting and respiratory zone and what is meant by each one?

Answer 22

1) conducting zone: provides a rigid conduits for air consisting of all of the respiratory passageways from the nose to the respiratory bronchioles

2) respiratory zone: the actual site of gas exchange composed of respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, & alveoli

Question 23

What is the structure of the larynx?

Answer 23

• composed of stratified squamous epithelium in its superior part, and below the vocal cords pseudostratified epithelium lines the respiratory tract
• It is attached superiorly to the hyoid bone opens in the region of the laryngopharynx and inferiorly continuous with the trachea
• framework of nine cartilage connected by membranes and ligaments except for thee epiglottis all laryngeal cartilage are hyaline cartilage (thyroid cartilage formed by the fusion of two cartilages it has the laryngeal prominence which is adams apple) below it is the cricoid cartilage. Then arytenoid (anchors the vocal folds helping in speech), cuneiform, corniculate cartilages form pars of the larynx wall
• epiglottis composed of elastic cartilage another cartilage flexible which closes as the larynx is pulled upwards preventing the entry of food into the airways
• vocal folds (attached to the arytenoid cartilage and the thyroid cartilage) composed mainly of elastic fibers which vibrates to produce sound, we have the vocal fold “AKA tru vocal cords” they lack blood vessels and vestibular folds “AKA false vocal cords” helps in thee closure of the glottis when we swallow

Question 24

Where is the location of the larynx?

Answer 24

From the level of the third cervical vertebrae to the sixth cervical vertebrae

Question 25

What is the function of the larynx?

Answer 25

1) provides a patent airway for air

2) routes air and food into the proper channels

3) Voice production (houses the vocal folds (vocal cords))

Question 26

What is the structure of the trachea?

Answer 26

• its wall contains the mucosa, submucosa, and adventitia and a layer of hyaline cartilage between the submucosa and adventitia
• the mucosa has cilia and secretes mucus via its goblet cells resting on a thick lamina propria which has rich supply of elastic fibers
• submucosa connective tissue layer deep into the mucosa containing a seromucous gland which help in the production of mucus supported by 16-20C shaped cartilage which is encased by the adventitia preventing it from collapsing
• its open posterior walls are connected by smooth muscle fibers of the trachealis and by soft connective tissue

Question 27

What is the function of the trachea?

Answer 27

1) Air passageway

2) cleans, warms, and moistens incoming air

Question 28

What is the location of the trachea?

Answer 28

From the larynx through the neck and into the mediastinum it ends as its divided into two main bronchi

Question 29

What is the structure of the bronchi?

Answer 29

The trachea divides to form the right and left main bronchi

• right bronchi is wider, shorter & more vertical than the left bronchi
• each main bronchi is subdivided into lobar (secondary bronchi “3 on the right & 2 on the left”) which then divides into segmental bronchi they continue branching until they become bronchioles and terminal bronchioles

Their tissue structure:

1) they contain irregular patches of cartilage till they reach the bronchioles and by then the wall will only contain elastic fibers

2) mucosal epithelium changes from pseudostratified to simple columnar to simple cuboidal in the terminal bronchioles

3) amount of smooth muscle increases as they move towards the bronchioles

Question 30

What is the function of the bronchi?

Answer 30

1) Air passageways connecting trachea with alveoli

2) cleans, warms, and moistens incoming air

Question 31

What are the organs that forms the respiratory system?

Answer 31

1) nose & nasal cavity

2) pharynx

3) larynx

4) trachea

5) bronchi

6) lungs

Question 32

Which structure seals the larynx when we swallow?

Answer 32

The epiglottis

Question 33

Where is angiotensin converting enzyme found and why is this a good location for this enzyme?

Answer 33

It is found in the lung capillary endothelium, where it activates blood pressure hormones and enzymes that inactivates certain prostaglandins

Question 34

What is meant by pleurisy? And what is pleural effusion?

Answer 34

Inflammation of the pleura, often due to pneumonia, making the pleura rough resulting in a stabbing pain with each breath which can cause fluid accumulation “pleural effusion” in the pleural cavity releasing the pain but hindering the breathing movements

Question 35

How is the nasopharynx closed during swallowing?

Answer 35

The soft palate and its pendulous uvula move superiorly closing the entry of food to the nasopharynx

Question 36

What is meant by the valsalva maneuver?

Answer 36

An act of building up pressure, as the vocal cords act as a sphincter muscle preventing the exhalation causing the intra-abdominal pressure to rise which helps in emptying the rectum

Question 37

What is the structure of the respiratory zone?

Answer 37

Defined by the presence of thin-walled air sacs called alveoli, which begins as the terminal bronchiole feeds into respiratory bronchioles which has alveoli protruding out of them as they lead to the alveolar ducts (consist of diffusely arranged rings of smooth muscle cells, connective tis- sue fibers, and outpocketing alveoli)

Question 38

What is the caricature of the respiratory membrane?

Answer 38

Alveoli walls are composed of a single layer of squamous epithelial cella (type I epithelial cells, surrounded by a flimsy membrane), densely covered with pulmonary capillaries (capillary + alveolar walls + their fused membrane = respiratory membrane)

Question 39

What are the major cell types of the alveoli?

Answer 39

1) Type I alveolar cells (squamous epithelial cells that form the major part of the alveolar walls)

2) Type II alveolar cells (cuboidal epithelial cells that are scattered among type I cells which secretes a fluid containing surfactant, which coats the gas exposed alveolar surfaces, reducing the surface tension of the alveolar fluid, in addition to secreting anti-microbial proteins which are important for innate immunity)

3) alveolar macrophages (crawl freely along internal alveolar surface to consume bacteria, dust & debrises

Question 40

What are the two significant features of the alveoli?

Answer 40

1) surrounded by fine elastic fibers of the same type that surround the entire bronchial tree

2) Open alveolar pores connecting adjacent alveoli allow air pressure throughout the lung to be equalized and provide alternate air routes to any alveoli whose bronchi have collapsed due to disease