Respiratory System Flashcards
What is the major function of the respiratory system?
Supply O2 for cellular respiration and dispose of CO2
The respiratory system is closely coupled with which other system?
The circulatory system
What are the 4 processes that Respiration involves? (2 categories)
Respiratory system –>
1. Pulmonary ventilation - movement of air in and out of lungs
2. External respiration - exchange of gases between blood & air of alveoli
Circulatory system–>
1. Transport of respiratory gases - role of blood in transport of gases between lungs & tissues of body
2. Internal respiration - at the level of tissues, exchange of gases between blood in systemic capillaries and tissue cells
What is the conduction zone? (PASSAGEWAYS)
conduits that transport gas to and from gas exchange sites
What are the respiratory zone structures?
nose, nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, terminal bronchioles
Apart from providing a passageway, what do conducting zone organs do?
Cleanse, humidify and warm incoming air
respiratory zone
site of gas exchange
What is the respiratory zone composed of?
respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts and alveoli (microscopic)
What are the 4 functions of the nose?
- airway for respiration
- moistens, warms, filters and cleans air breathed in
- resonating chamber for speech
- olfactory (smell receptors)
Why is the shape of the external nose different for different people?
differences in nasal cartilage
What does the skin covering dorsal/lateral aspects of nose contain?
many sebaceous glands
What is the nasal cavity divided by?
The midline nasal septum
What is the nasal cavity formed by?
ethmoid and sphenoid bones of skull
What is the floor of the nasal cavity formed by?
the Palate –> anterior is hard; posterior is soft
What is the pathway for air through the nose?
air enters via external nares (nostrils) then goes via internal nares to the nasopharynx
What are the posterior nasal apertures? (choanae)
opening where the nasal cavity turns into the nasopharynx.
What are nasal conchae?
any of several thin, scroll-shaped bony elements forming the upper chambers of the nasal cavities.
What are vibrissae?
A whisker or vibrissae is a large tactile hair in a mechanically isolated hair follicle. Each whisker on the face receives a substantial, segregated sensory innervation from the trigeminal (fifth) nerve.
What are the 2 types of mucosa that the nasal cavity are lined with? and what do they contain?
- olfactory mucosa
–> contains receptors for sense of smell - respiratory mucosa
–> pseudostratified ciliated colomnar epithelium with goblet cells; lamina propria has seromucous nasal glands (1 L/day sticky mucus containing lysozyme)
What is lysozyme?
protein present in many mucosal secretions (tears, saliva, and mucus), and plays an important role in the innate immunity, providing protection against bacteria, viruses, and fungi
what do ciliated cells do in the nose?
They sweep contaminated mucus posteriorly towards the throat
what causes the ciliated cells to slow down their process in the nose?
Cold air slows down the sweeping of contaminated mucus – this causes a runny nose
What is the role of thin-walled veins under the nasal epithelium?
can cause someone to be prone to nose bleeds
What are the nasal conchae? (3 pairs)
several thin, scroll-shaped bony elements forming the upper chambers of the nasal cavities.
- Superior 2. Middle 3. Inferior
What triggers a sneeze reflex?
Nasal mucosa contains many sensory nerve ending nerves and these irritants trigger sneeze reflex to force particles out of cavity
What surrounds the nasal cavity?
Paranasal Sinuses
What bones are a part of the paranasal sinuses?
Frontal, sphenoid, ethmoid, and maxillary bones
What do the Paranasal Sinuses do? (responsible for what?)
lighten skull, produce mucus, warm and moisten air
What is a Sinus headache?
It is the passageways connecting sinuses to nasal cavity blocked –> air in sinus absorbed (partial vacuum)
The sinus mucosa is continuous with what? What does it cause?
Nasal mucosa. Spread of infections
What is the Pharynx?
It is a funnel shaped muscular tube.
It is a common pathway for food and air. about 13cm in length
What are the three regions of the pharynx?
- Nasopharynx
- Oropharynx
- Laryngopharynx
where can you find the nasopharynx?
Below the sphenoid bone, above soft palate
What are some qualities of the nasopharynx? (2)
- only an air passage
- lining contains pseudostratified columnar epithelium
What happens when swallowing? (3 steps)
- the tongue pushes the food into the throat.
- the epiglottis, a small but important flap of tissue, folds over the voice box at the top of the windpipe. This keeps food from going down the wrong way.
- the esophagus contracts and moves food toward the stomach
Where are the Pharyngeal tonsils located?
on the posterior wall
What are the Pharyngotympanic tubes? and what do they do?
They are auditory tubes. They drain and equalize pressure in middle ear and open into lateral walls
What is the archway that connects the oral cavity with the oropharynx called?
The Oropharynx
What is the Oropharynx?
The region of the pharynx that extends from soft palate to epiglottis –> responsible for air and food
Why does this epithelium become stratified squamous epithelium?
protection! It acts as a physical barrier to pathogens. It has protection against microorganisms from invading underlying tissue and/or protection against water loss.
What region of the pharynx is the Laryngopharynx?
From the epiglottis to the larynx
What does the laryngopharynx allow to pass through? and What lines the laryngopharyx?
Food and air. Stratified squamous epithelium.
What does the lower respiratory system consist of?
Larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs
What are two physical characteristics of the Larynx?
- It is about 5 cm
- It is attached to the hyoid bone (above); continuous with trachea (below)
What are the THREE functions of the Larynx?
- open, 2-directional airway
- switching: food versus air
- voice production
How many cartilages are there in the Larynx?
NINE
What is the Thyroid cartilage?
It is a large, shield-shaped cartilage in the front that resembles an upright open book; the “spine” of the book is the laryngeal prominence (Adam’s apple)
What is the Cricoid cartilage?
It is ring-shaped, it is paired with the arytenoid cartilages: lateral, pyramid-shaped, anchor vocal chords
What is the Epiglottis?
It contains elastic cartilage, anchored to anterior rim of thyroid cartilage and extends up to base of tongue.
It is responsible for closing the respiratory tract during swallowing
TRUE vocal cords:
these are white (avascular); vibrate in response to air movement up from lungs
FALSE vocal cords:
these are above true vocal cords. They do not produce sound.
What is the glottis?
The glottis is the opening between the vocal folds in the larynx that is generally thought of as the primary valve between the lungs and the mouth.
How does speech happen?
There is an intermittent release of expired air + opening and closing of glottis
What are the length of vocal cords and size of glottis altered by?
the action of laryngeal muscles that move arytenoid cartilages
Why does the male voice at puberty have vocal cords that vibrate more slowly?
Loudness of the voice is caused by what?
force of air across vocal cords
What is laryngitis?
it is inflammation of vocal cords–> vibration is impaired
What is Valsalva’s maneuver?
The Valsalva maneuver is a drug-free way to quickly return an abnormal heart rhythm to normal. Plugging nose, breathing out, etc.
What is the Heimlich maneuver?
Choking! 5 abdominal thrusts/ chest compressions–> 5 back blows
The Heimlich maneuver, is there to abruptly increase the intrathoracic pressure and cause a forceful expulsion of air from the lungs may be all that is needed to relieve an obstruction.
What structure contains alveoli?
Alveolar sacs
300 million alveoli make up most of what?
Lung volume! they also are huge sites of actual gas exchange
Respiratory zone structures
Respiratory zone begins where terminal bronchioles feed into respiratory bronchioles, which lead into alveolar ducts and finally into alveolar sacs (saccules)
What do Alveolar Walls consist of? (2)
- Single layer of squamous epithelium (type 1 alveolar cells)
- Scattered cuboidal type 2 alveolar cells secrete surfactant and antimicrobial proteins
What connects adjacent alveoli? (holes in the walls)
Alveolar pores
What do the Alveolar pores do? (2)
- Equalize air pressure throughout lung
- provide alternate routes in case of blackages
alveolar macrophages
these keep alveolar surfaces sterile. they are surrounded by fine elastic fibers and pulmonary capillaries
what is responsible for exhalation?
The fine elastic fibers that surround the alveolar macrophages
Each lung is suspended in its own what?
Pleural cavity
Why is having a pleural cavity for each lung important?
If one side gets injured, they can still breath using the other side.
where is the apex and where is the base for the lungs?
Apex-top
base-bottom
Note: opposite to the heart
What is located in the left lung?
The cardiac notch
Which lung is bigger?
The right lung - because of the cardiac notch in the left lung
Fissures are located where in the lungs?
Oblique–both lungs
Horizontal–right lung only
Septa are what?
they subdivide each lung into about 10 bronchopulmonary segments
lobule are?
Smallest subdivision seen with the naked eye – size of pencil eraser
What are the three parts of the lungs that are responsible for blood supply and innervation?
- Pulmonary arteries
- pulmonary veins
- bronchial arteries
Pulmonary arteries do what? (lungs)
Bring blood to the lungs to be oxygenated
Pulmonary veins do what? (lungs)
Return oxygenated blood to the heart
bronchial arteries do what? (lungs)
provide systemic blood to lungs –> bronchial veins
The innervation that is done in the lungs is parasympathetic or sympathetic?
BOTH!
What is the serous secretion that fills the pleural cavity called?
Pleural fluid
what is surface tension?
lungs slide easily during breathing; surface tension keeps pleurae from seperating
What does the fluid in the pleural cavity help with?
helps lungs slide easily during breathing. the surface tension keeps pleurae from seperating
what is pleurisy?
Inflammation of pleural membranes
