Respiratory system Flashcards
What are the functions of the respiratory system
- Exchange of gases (intake O2, remove CO2)
- Helps regulate blood pH
- Sense of smell
- Filters and warms inhaled air
- Produces voice
- Excretes small amount of water and heat
Where does the anterior part of the 2nd rib join the vertebrea?
T4/T5
How does the respiratory system regulate blood pH?
During inhalation, you increase acidity level bc of O2, decreasing pH
What main parts does the respiratory system consist of?
- Nose
- Nasal cavity
- Pharynx
- Larynx
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Lungs
Structurally, how is the respiratory system classified?
- Upper respiratory system
- Lower respiratory system
What are the structures located in the upper respiratory system?
- Nose
- Nasal cavity
- Pharynx
What are the structres located in the lower respiratory system?
- Larynx
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Lungs
What are the two ways to classify the respiratory system functionally?
- Conducting zone
- Respiratory zone
What are the two ways to classify the respiratory system?
- Structurally
- Functionally
What is the most distal part of the conducting zone?
The terminal bronchioles
Where does gas exchange occur?
(What zone)
Respiratory zone
Where is the mediastinum?
Between the lungs, sternum, and vertebrae
Describe the pleural cavity:
A potential space between visceral and parietal pleura with serous fluid between
What are some upper respiratory tract infections?
2
-Strept throat
-Sinus infection
Give one example of a lower respiratory tract infection:
Pnemonia
Define the conducting zone:
A series of connecting cavities and tubes that lead to the respiraty zone
What are the functions of the conducting zone?
Filter, warm, moisten, and conduct air to and from the lungs
What structures are part of the conducting zone?
- Nose
- Nasal Cavity
- Pharynx
- Larynx
- Trachea
- Bronchi
Define the respiratory zone:
Tubes and tissues within the lungs where gas exchange occurs
What structures are located in the respiratory zone?
- Respiratory bronchioles
- Alveolar ducts
- Alveolar sacs
- Alveoli
What separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity
The diaphram
What structures are locate in the mediastinum?
- Heart
- Aorta, SVC, IVC
- Trachea
- Esophogus
- Thymus
Where is the mediastunum located?
In the area between the lungs in the thoracic cavity
What are the cavites located within the thoracic cavity?
- One pericardial cavity
- Two pleural cavites
What is the pericardial cavity?
Space between the viseral and parietal layers around the heart
What is the pleural cavity?
Space between the visceral and parietal layers around the lungs
Define the pleura:
A double walled serous membrane
What does the parietal pleura line?
Lines the superior portion of the diaphram and the chest wall
What does the visceral pleura line?
Lines the surface of the lungs
What is the purpose of having a pleural cavity?
To reduce friction
What can pnumothorax’s be caused by?
What is it a result of?
- Stabwound
- Fractured ribs
- Spontaneuos pnumothorax
All as a result of too much negative pressure
What part of the rib contains no blood vessels?
The superior portion of the rib
What is it called when there is too much fluid in the pleural space from trauma?
Hemothorax
What is it called when there is too much fluid in the pleural space without trauma?
Pleural diffusion
What are the 3 functions of the nasal cavity?
- Warm, filter, moisten air
- Detect olfactory stimuli
- Modify speech as air passes through conchae and sinuses
Where are the external and internal nares located?
Between the nasal bones and cartilage to the hard palate
What is another name for the pharynx?
Mucus escalator
Where is the pharynx located?
From the internal nares to the level of the cricoid cartialge
What is the most inferior cartilage of the larynx called?
The cricoid cartilage
What are the regions of the pharynx called?
- Nasopharynx
- Oropharynx
- Laryngopharynx
What is another name for the larynx?
Voice box
What structures does the larynx connect?
Connects the laryngopharynx to the trachea
How many cartialges is the wall of the larynx composed of?
9 cartialges
Where is the larynx located?
Anterior to the esophagus from C4 to C6
What does the cricoid cartilage form? What is it attached to?
Forms the inferior wall of larynx and is attached to the trachea at C6
What is the larmark for C5? What is this structure connected to?
-The landmark for C5 is the thyroid cartialage
-It is connected to the hyoid bone
Where is the trachea located?
Anterior to the espophagus from C6 to T5
What vertebral level is the carnia located at?
T5
Why is the cartialge in the trachea C shaped?
The reson the cartialage is c-shaped, is because when you swallow, the trachea moves posteriorly
How many cartilages are in the trachea? What is thier purpose?
16-20 C-shaped cartilages stacked on top of one another that gives us semi-ridged support that prevents the trachea from collapsing down
Where does the trachea split into right and left main stem bronchi?
At the carnia
Describe the right main stem bronchus in relation to the left stem bronchus:
Right main stem bronchus is more vertical, shorter, and wider compared to the left
Where do most aspirated objects, or misplaced feeding tubes go?
Most go into the right lung
What is the pathway of air starting at the trachea?
- Main stem bronchi
- Lobar bronchi (secondary)
- Segmental bronchi (tertiary)
- Bronchioles
- Terminal bronchioles
- Lung lobule
- Respiratory bronchioles
Where does gas exhange occur?
In the respiratory bronchioles
What does the thumb sign on soft tissue represent?
The epiglottis interfering with breathing
What are the 3 cavites the respiratory system?
- Nasal
- Oral
- Thoracic
Where is the location of the nasopharynx?
Posterior to the nasal cavity to the soft palate, where it then becomes the oropharynx
What tonsil does the nasopharynx contain?
One pharyngeal tonsil/adenoid
Where are the eustacheain tubes/auditory tubes located? What is their purpose?
Located in the nasopharynx and connects to the middle ear to equalize pressure
Where is the oropharyx located?
Extends from the soft palate (opening to oral cavity) to the hyoid bone
What is the function of the oropharynx?
-Has both respiratory and digestive functions (common passageway for food and air)
What tonsils are located in the orpharynx? Where are they located?
- Lingual (base of tounge)
- Palatine (against soft palate)
Where is the vallecula located and what is its purpose?
-Located in the oropharynx superior to the epiglottis
-To allow saliva to collect so you dont always have to swallow
Where is the laryngopharynx located? What is its purpose?
-From the level of the hyoid to the esophagus
-Purpose is to allow air and food to go in different directions
What are the 2 main parts of the larynx?
- Glottis
- Epiglottis
What structures are located within the glottis?
Consists of a pair of folds of mucous membrane
1. Vestibular folds/false vocal cords
2. True vocal cords
What vocal cords are located more superiorly, the true, or the false vocal cords?
The false vocal cords
What is the function of the false vocal cords?
Valsalva maneuver (bearing down)
How is volume controlled by in the vocal cods?
The force of air against the cords
What is the eppiglottis connected to?
The thyroid cartilage
During swallowing, what hapens to the epiglottis?
The epiglottis covers the glottis to prevent aspiration of food or liquids
What is the pathway of air starting from the right main stem bronchus?
- Three lobar bronchi
- 10 segmental bronchi
- 10 bronchopulmonary segments
- Many lobules
What are the different lobes in the right lung? What fissures are assosiated with each?
- Upper (superior) lobe-horizontal fissue
- Middle lobe-oblique fissure
- Lower (inf) lobe
What are some charecteristics of the right lung?
Why?
-Shorter than left
-Wider than left
-Liver pushes the hemi-diaphram up
What is the pathway of air starting from the left main stem bronchus?
- Two lobar bronchi
- 10 segmental bronchi
- 10 bronchopulmonary segments
- Many lobules
What are some charecteristics of the left lung?
-Longer and narrower than the right
-Has the cardiac notch for the heart
What are the lobes in the left lung? What the fissures assosiated with each?
- Upper (sup.) lobe-oblique fissue
- Lower (inf.) lobe
What do the lung lobules contain?
- Lymphatic vessel
- Arteriole
- Venule
- Branch from a terminal bronchiole
What do type one cells in the alveoli do?
Main sites of gas exchange
What does the type 2 cells in the alveoli do?
- Secrete surfactant
- Lowers surface tension therefore reducing the tendency for the alveoli to collapse
Describe the lung parechyma:
-Highly elastic and spoungy
Where are the apex or apices of the lungs?
At the top portion of the lungs at T1
Where are the bases of the lungs?
-Concave bottom rests on the diaphram
Which way do the lungs extend? Why?
They extend lower posteriorly and lateraly because of the diaphram
Where are the costophrenic angles
They are at the extreme outermost lower corner of each lung
What does the hilum store?
- Bronchi
- Pulmonary blood vessels
- Lymphatic vessels
- Nerves
What is the hilum known as?
The root of the lung
Where is the cardiac notch?
Left lung where heart sits
How far does the heart go down?
Goes down to the 10th rib above the hemidiaphram on full inspiration
Why is the right side of the diaphram higher than the left side?
Because of the liver
What two landmarks are at T10
-Xiphoid process
-Anterior part of the diaphram
What are the 3 blood supplies to the lungs?
- R and L pulmonary arteries
- Bronchial arteries
- Pulmonary veins (4)
What do the R and L pulmonary arteries do?
Coming from the right ventricle, they carry deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the cappilarries surrounding the alveoli
What do the bronchial arteries do?
Arse from the aorta (L side of heart) and carries oxygenated blood to supply the muscular walls of the bronchi and bronchioles
What do the four pulmonary veins do?
Carry oxygenated blood from the cappilaries surrounding the alveoli back to the left side of the heart
What are the 3 processes of gas exchange in the body?
- Pulmonary ventilation
- External or pulmonary respiration
- Internal or tissue respiration
What are the 3 processes in pulmonary ventilation?
Which require energy?
- Insipration
- Expiration
- Forced expiration
Inspiration, and forced expiration require energy
What occurs in external or pulmonary respiration?
Exchange of gasses between alveoli and surrounding cappilarries
What occurs during internal or tissue respiration?
Exchange of gases between blood in systemic capillaries and tissues
Where is the respiratory center in the body?
-In the brain stem (medulla oblongata and pons)
-Speciffically located in aortic and carotid bodies
What is the function of the respiratory center?
- Monitors and controls respiatoy rate by stimulating muscle contractions
- Monitors levels of CO2 and O2 in the blood
Is inspiration or expiration better for imaging a pneumothorax?
Expiration
Define pulmonary ventilation:
-Exchange of air between atmosphere and alveoli (inhalation and exhalation)
What are the two muscles responsible for inspiration and what are their functions?
- Diaphram: In contracts during inhalation
- External intercoastal muscles: Elevates the ribs
Regarding boyles law with volume and pressure, what are the external intercoastal muscles and diphram causing?
An increase in volume and a decrease in pressure
What percentage are the external intercoastal muscles responsible for air enetering the lungs during inspiration?
25%
**
What percentage is the diaphram responsible for air enetering the lungs during inspiration?
75%
What happens anatomically and physologically during expiration?
-An elastic recoil of the lungs
-Relaxation of the diaphram and external intercoastal muscles
-A decrease in vertical, lateral and AP diameters of the thoracic cavity
-A decrease in lung volume
What happens anatomically and physiologically during forced expiration?
-Contraction of abdominal and internal intercoastal muscles
Describe the relationship between pressure and volume in relation to boyles law:
Pressure—> to 1/V
What percentage of oxygen and carbon dioxide do we breath in?
-20.9% O2
-0.04 CO2
What does Dalton’s law state?
-States that air moves from higher partial pressure to lower partial pressure
What landmark indicates the most superior part of the lung?
C7/T1
Why is the mid thorax at T7?
Because the bodies are bigger as you go down
What is the pathway of air starting from the nasal cavity?
12
- Nasal cavity
- Nasopharynx
- Oropharynx
- Laryngeopharynx
- Trachea
- Primary bronchus (main stem bronchus)
- 3 Lobar/2 Lobar bronchus (secondary)
- 10 Segmental bronchi (tertiary)
- Ten Bronchopulmonary seg.
- Terminal bronchiole
- Respiratory bronchiole
- Alveolar ducts
- Alveolar sacs
