RESPIRATORY SYSTEM Flashcards
respiratory system functions
- involved with speech (phonation)
- involved in activating angiotensin from its precursor
- involved with homeostasis
- plasma gases: arterial PO2 & PCO2 (dissolved gasses)
- plasma pH
- body temperature
- resp fx tied to metabolism: ↑ activity = ↑ resp
atmospheric pressure of O in dry air
159.2 mmHg
atmospheric pressure of N in dry air
593.5 mmHg
how does gas diffusion occur?
with a ΔP (change in gas pressure)
- independent of other gases
- PalvO2 = 100 mmHg
- ParterialO2 = 60 mmHg
- ∴ ΔP = 40 mmHg
changes in partial pressures of gases in trachea
- mixing old air w/ newly inspired air ➞ extra CO2 in old air
- air is humidified
in the trachea:
- N (73.26%) = 557 mmHg
- O (19.65%) = 150 mmHg
- CO2 (0.03%) = 0.2 mmHg
- H2O (6.18%) = 6.6 mmHg
pressure of H2O in trachea
6.6 mmHg
pressure of CO2 in the trachea
0.2 mmHg
pressure of O in the trachea
150 mmHg
where does gas exchange occur?
btwn alveoli & interstitium and interstitium & capillaries ONLY
pressure of N in the trachea
557 mmHg
ficks law of diffusion
rate of diffusion of a substance across a membrane is proportional to the concentration gradient
- Jx = (Pxa - Pxb) x permeability
- diffusion of gas ∝ ΔPgas x permeability
- movement via diffusion is via short distances
conductive regions of the respiratory system
air moves in/out of the lungs via these pathways
- bulk air movement
- nose & nasal passages
- pharynx
- larynx
- trachea
- bronchi
- bronchioles
exchange regions of the respiratory system
gas exchange btwn alveoli & blood
- respiratory bronchioles
- alveolar ducts
- alveolar sacs & alveoli
upper respiratory system
- conductive pathways
- nose & nasal passages
- pharynx
lower respiratory system
- conductive pathways
- larynx
- trachea
- bronchi
- bronchioles
- gas exchange surfaces
- respiratory bronchioles
- alveolar ducts
- alveolar sacs & alveoli
pharynx
- throat
- shared w/ GI tract
- helps to warm & humidify air
- upper respiratory system
- conductive pathway
larynx
- voice box
- lower respiratory system
- conductive pathway
trachea
- has cartilaginous rings that stiffen & prevent collapse
- lower respiratory system
- conductive pathway
bronchi
- lower respiratory system
- conductive pathways
- branch & give rise to smaller bronchi (in diameter) & ↑ # of bronchi
- arborization = branching
- has cartilaginous rings stiffen & prevent collapse
bronchioles
- lower respiratory system
- conductive pathways
- lose cartilage but gain smooth muscle rings
- guides ventilation
- under ANS control
- can potentially collapse due to lack of cartilage if P outside of it is greater than P inside ➞ flattens it out
- P(bronchioles) must be larger than P(outside) or collapse when cough/sneeze
- stay roughly same diameter
respiratory bronchioles
- 1st gas exchange surfaces
- lower respiriatory system
- have alveoli ∴ can do exchange
- smooth muscle rings
- no cartilage
alveolar ducts
- gas exchange surfaces
- lower respiratory tract
- walls are made of type I alveolar epithelium
- basically alveoli forming a pathway to still conduct air
alveolar sacs & alveoli
- gas exchange surfaces
- lower respiratory tract
- don’t usually collapse
branching
- bronchi branch & give rise to smaller & more bronchi
- bronchioles will show up ~11th gen
- respiratory bronchioles @ branch 17-19
- alveolar ducts @ branch 20
- by the end: respiratory passages branch ~23-25x
type I alveolar epithelium
- make up the walls of the alveolus, alveolar ducts, & some parts of the respiratory bronchioles
- thin ➞ facilitate gas exchange
- form to create alveoli
- alveoli adjacent to each other tether together ➞ expanding alveoli pull on adjacent alveoli via tether fibers
type II alveolar epithelium
- produces surfactant ➞ allows us not to waste energy to breathe
- interspersed w/in type I (fewer)
- surfactant gets dispersed along surface
- ends up on thin layer of water that’s inside alveolus
thoracic anatomy
-
diaphragm = skeletal muscle at base of thoracic cavity
- inspiration
- contracts during inspiratory effort - chest wall
- ribs & cartilage
- intercostal muscles
-
parietal pleura = membrane that lines chest wall & diaphragm
- joins with visceral pleura
- visceral pleura = membrane lining lungs
- pleural cavity/intrapleural space = space btwn lungs & chest wall btwn parietal & visceral pleura
tidal volume
TV = amount of air we breathe in/out during normal breathing
- resting TV ≈ 500 mL
inspiratory reserve volume
IRV = amount of air that is voluntarily inhaled above TV
- ~2-25L
- inherent (cannot train for)
expiratory reserve volume
ERV = max expired air past TV
- ~1.1-1.5 L
residual volume
RV = amount of air remaining in the lungs after max expiration
- residual air
functional residual capacity
FRC = amount of air remaining in lungs after normal passive expiration
- ERV + RV
- capacity = adding 2+ volumes together
vital capacity
VC = overall breathing range
- ERV + TV + IRV
- inherent ➞ associated w/ anatomy
- ↓ w/ age ➞ posture associated
static properties of the chest wall
- higher pressure towards bottom of chest cavity due to gravity & the way the lungs hang
- intrapleural space created by 3 tendencies to recoil:
- lung parenchyma = lots of elastin ∴ when lung stretches it naturally recoils inwards
- chest wall at FRC has a natural tendency to recoil outwards due to cartilage structure
- diaphragm recoils upwards
transmural force
pressures acting on a wall
- P(TM) = P(inside) − P(outside) → alveolus − intraplueral
- ⊕ transmural force causes ↑V ∴ lung expands
- ⊖ transmural force causes ↓V ∴ lung collapses
to change ΔP
- Patm never changes → Patm = 760 mmHg
- ∴ Palv must change
- inspiration: Palv < Patm
- expiration: Palv > Patm
- if Palv = Patm → no flow (e.g. at end of expiration (@FRC) or at top of inspiration)
- to change Palv: change lung volume using transmural pressures (acts against elastic recoil + surface tension forces)
- elastic recoil pushing in (due to elastin)
- surface tension pushing in (due to water cohesiveness)
- transmural force pushing out aka P(lung)
- ⊕ transmural forces will expand the lung (generated by us)
- ⊖ transmural forces will collapse the lung (only during forceful expiration, not normal breathing)
P(lung) =
P(alv) − P(IP)
intraplural pressures at FRC
- Palv = 760 mmHg (same as atm)
- on avg ≈ 756 mmHg ∴ P(lung) = +4
- at top of lungs: 750 mmHg ∴ P(lung) = +10
- at bottom of lungs: 759 mmHg ∴ P(lung) = +1
- elastic recoil + surface tension inwards opposes transmural force at -4 mmHg
- P(lung) > P(ER+ST) = ↑ transmural → expansion
do we use ⊖ transmural forces during normal passive expiration?
no
relationship btwn P(lung) & P(ER+ST) to expand the lung
transmural forces must be larger than forces of elastic recoil + surface tension
- P(lung) > P(ER+ST)
relationship btwn P(lung) & P(ER+ST) during expiration
pressure of elastic recoil + surface tension must be larger than transmural force acting on the lung
- P(ER+ST) > P(lung)
- at top of inspiration: P(lung) = +6 mmHg balances P(ER+ST) = -6
- as we relax inspiratory muscles, thoracic volume ↓➞ P(IP)↑ from 754 → 756 mmHg
- now P(lung) = 760 − 756 mmHg = +4 but P(ER+ST) = -6
- larger elastic recoil + surface tension inward is how lung decreases in size
inspiratory muscles
- diaphragm: goes down → expands in caudal direction
- external intercostals: pull rib cage upwards, allow chest wall to recoil
- sternocleidomastoids: pulls chest upwards during exercise or forced expiration
- scalenes in upper shoulders elevate the first rib during exercise or forced inspiration
surface tension
- in alveoli in lung due to H2O cohesiveness
- in small alveoli: H-bond strength is very large
- large alveoli has same # of H2O mol just spread apart ∴ H-bond strength decreases
-
law of laplace: P(collapsing) = (2 x ST)/radius
- collapsing pressure is trying to make alveoli smaller
- as the radius increases, the collapsing pressure decreases
- ∴ small alveoli are harder to inflate while large alveoli are easier to inflate
- resistance factor at small volumes
-
surfactant from type II alveolar epithelium helps reduce ST
- phospholipids sit btwn H2O mol ↓ ST
- ↓ amount of energy required at start of inspiration
law of laplace
P(collapsing) = (2 x ST)/radius
- as the radius increases, the collapsing pressure decreases
- small alveoli are harder to inflate
- large alveoli are easier to inflate
expiratory muscles
passive expiration: ↓ thoracic volume by relaxing inspiratory muscles
- diaphragm moves up
- ribcage moves down & inwards
forced expiration
- internal intercostals
- abdominal muscles
hysteresis
- phenomenon that inspiration & expiration take 2 different pathways
- our normal breathing shows less hysteresis b/c we don’t go to <50% total lung capacity
- # 1: hard to increase volume initially (@ TLC =10%) due to cohesive attraction of H2O mol (surface tension)
- # 4: hard to increase volume at TLC ~90% due to elastic recoil force
posture & breathing
-
elderly person = bent over ∴ more difficult to breathe
- prevents easy expansion of the chest volume
- overall stiffness of joints
- young persons: posture affects how the lung hangs in the thoracic cavity
- more squished at the bottom: P @ 759
- more space at the top: P @ 750
- decreased pressure at top creates larger alveoli
- in an upright indiv @ FRC
- the top alveoli are very large due to large P(lung) (+10)
- alveoli at bottom are small due to small P(lung) (+1)
- ∴ elastic recoil for top alveoli is larger (-10) compared to bottom (-1)
- ∴ inspiratory effort preferentially inflates bottom 1/3-1/2 of the lung because of larger elastic recoil at top
- differential in ventilation of the lung: preferentially ventilate bottom of lung first
dynamic compression of the lungs
max forced expiration ➞ increased intrapleural pressure which collapses bronchioles in lower airways
- contract abdominal muscles + intercostal muscles + posture change (to ↓ thoracic V ∴ ↓P)
- P(bronchiole) = P(inside) − P(outside) = 785 - 786 = -1
- bronchioles have no cartilaginous support
- ⊖ transmural force collapses the lung
- collapse prevents air from flowing out
- common in patients with emphysema
static resistance
- radius = major static resistance
- bronchioles have lowest resistance because of accumulative aggregation of 100,000+
laminar airflow
air moves in layers
- air in center has fastest velocity
- outer edges ↓ velocity (↑ resistance from contact w/ walls)
- typical of regions where airflow velocity is low
turbulent airflow
= dynamic resistance
- associated w/ fast velocities & branches/edges
transitional airflow
- in between laminar & turbulent
- characteristics of both
reynold’s number
assesses whether the flow will be laminar vs turbulent
- Re > 3000 = turbulent flow
- Re < 2000 = laminar flow
- 2000 > Re > 3000 = transitional flow
- Re = (2 x r x V x ρ)/η
- fastest velocity in biggest airways = turbulent (trachea & bronchi)
- bronchioles have slowest velocity
- bigger radius = more turbulent flow
- smaller radius = smaller reynold’s number = laminar flow (bronchioles)
resistance in larger airways
large airways have less static resistance due to radius size but larger dynamic resistance due to reynold’s number & turbulent flow
resistance in smaller airways
smaller airways have more static resistance due to radius but smaller dynamic resistance due to reynold’s number & laminar flow