Respiratory System

Question 1

What are the main functions of the respiratory system?

Answer 1

Exchange of gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) between lungs and blood.

Question 2

What are the 2 subdivisions of the respiratory system? What do they consist of?

Answer 2

Upper respiratory system: nose nasal cavity, and pharynx Lower respiratory system: larynx, trachea, bronchial tree, and lungs

Question 3

The respiratory system is lined with what? Describe the specific tissue types.

Answer 3

• Mucosa
• All have epithelial and CT
• Epithelial for most is ciliated pseudostratified columnar (with goblet cells)
  - Cilia sweeps mucous to esophagus where swallowed
• CT layer of all mucosa is lamina propria

Question 4

What is the nose supported by?

Answer 4

Bone and hyaline cartilage

Question 5

Nostrils = ?

Answer 5

Nares

Question 6

What are the nasal cavities functions?

Answer 6

• Airway passage (heat +moisten air)
• Olfaction
• Speech (resonance chamber)

Question 7

What is the nasal cavity divided by?

Answer 7

The nasal septum

Question 8

What is the nasal septum made up of?

Answer 8

Anterior part: Hyaline cartilage
Posterior part: Vomer, ethmoid, maxillae, palatine bones

Question 9

What are the 3 areas of the nasal cavity?

Answer 9

Vestibule, respiratory area, olfactory area

Question 10

Describe the vestibule of the nasal cavity

Answer 10

• Anterior region of the nasal cavity
• Lined by skin with coarse hair

Question 11

Describe the respiratory area of the nasal cavity

Answer 11

• posterior region of the nasal cavity
• mucosa = ciliated pseudostratified epithelium + CT
• conchae protrude from walls
  - superior (ethmoid)
  - middle (ethmoid)
  - inferior - separate bone
• inferior to chonchae = nasal meatuses (shallow groove)
• conchae + meatuses cause air turbulence to knock out dust
• lacrimal duct opens into cavity here (just below inferior nasal conchae)
  - tears to nasal cavity

Question 12

Describe the olfactory area of the nasal cavity

Answer 12

• sense of smell
• roof of nasal cavity
• neurons = olfactory receptors

Question 13

What are the paranasal sinuses?

Answer 13

8 air filled spaces in the skull
- paired left and right spaces in: frontal, sphenoid, ethmoid, and maxillae
- open directly into nasal cavity
- function: warm, moisten air, lighten skull
- sinusitis = inflammation of mucous membrane

Question 14

What are the 3 regions of the pharynx?

Answer 14

nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx

Question 15

Describe the nasopharynx

Answer 15

• posterior to nasal cavity
• air passage only
• contains:
  - pharyngeal tonsil
  - openings:
  - 2 posterior nasal apertures
  - 2 pharyngotympanic tubes

Question 16

Describe the oropharynx

Answer 16

• posterior to oral cavity
• air + food passage
• stratified squamous epithelium
• from soft palate to top of epiglottis
• contains: palatine tonsils, lingual tonsil

Question 17

Describe the laryngopharynx

Answer 17

• air + food passage
• stratified squamous epithelium
• from epiglottis to opening of larynx

Question 18

Describe the pharynx

Answer 18

• The throat
• made up of skeletal muscle lined by mucous membrane

Question 19

Describe the larynx

Answer 19

• the voice-box
• made up of 9 cartilages (all hyaline cartilage, except epiglottis)

Question 20

What are the unpaired cartilages of the larynx?

Answer 20

• thyroid: on anterior wall, Adam’s apple
• cricoid: forms complete ring
  epiglottis: made of elastic cartilage, covers glottis during swallowing

Question 21

What are the paired cartilages of the larynx?

Answer 21

• arytenoid: attaches the vocal cords (influence changes in position and tension of the vocal cords)
• don’t need to know the other 2

Question 22

What are the vocal cords?

Answer 22

2 pairs of folds of mucosa membrane
- vestibular
- false vocal cords
- superior fold
- vocal fold
- true vocal cords
- inferior fold
- produce sound by vibration

Question 23

What is the glottis?

Answer 23

• consists of true vocal cords + the space between them
• closes to prevent food and liquid from entering trachea

Question 24

What is laryngitis?

Answer 24

inflammation of the larynx which can arise from infection or irritation

Question 25

What is the trachea?

Answer 25

- connects the larynx to the main bronchi - anterior to esophagus - consists of 20 'C' shaped pieces of hyaline cartilage (open part of 'C' faces the esophagus to allow expansion of the esophagus

Question 26

What is the bronchial tree?

Answer 26

an extension of the trachea and serve as the central passageway into the lungs

Question 27

What are the differences between the right and left lung?

Answer 27

The right lung has 3 lobes (superior, middle, and inferior) while the left lobes has 2 lobes (superior, and inferior) and a cardiac notch where the heart lies.

Question 28

What separates the right and left lungs?

Answer 28

the mediastinum

Question 29

What is the pleura?

Answer 29

the serous membrane of the lungs - visceral layer: on the surface of the lungs - parietal layer: on the thoracic wall, superior diaphragm, and the mediastinum

Question 30

What is the pleura cavity?

Answer 30

Between the visceral and parietal layers of the pleura and is filled with serious fluid which: - prevents friction when lungs move - holds lungs to thoracic cavity wall

Question 31

What is the respiratory zone?

Answer 31

- Where gas is exchanged between air and blood (oxygen gas enters blood, and carbon dioxide enters air, mainly alveoli) - Consists of: respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, and alveoli

Question 32

What is the conduction zone?

Answer 32

- Filters, warms, and moistens air and conducts it into the lungs. - Consists of: nose, nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and terminal bronchioles

Question 33

Which comes first, the respiratory zone or the conduction zone?

Answer 33

Conduction zone

Question 34

What is the respiratory membrane?

Answer 34

A thin membrane made up of alveolar walls and surrounding capillaries (3 total layers)

Question 35

What are the 3 layers of the respiratory membrane?

Answer 35

1) wall of alveolus: - simple epithelium - made up of 3 cell types 2) basement membrane of alveolus and capillary 3) wall of capillary - simple squamous epithelium (=endothelial cell)

Question 36

What are the 3 types of cells that the wall of the alveolus is made of? What are their functions?

Answer 36

1) Type 1 alveolar cells - simple squamous - allow gas diffusion 2) Type 2 alveolar cells - simple cuboidal - secrete surfactant (allows lungs to expand easily) 3) Macrophages - free moving across surface of type 1 cells - remove dust and debris

Question 37

What are the 2 routes for blood supply to the lungs?

Answer 37

pulmonary circulation (blood to be oxygenated) and bronchial circulation (blood to nourish lung tissue)

Question 38

Describe bronchial circulation

Answer 38

1) bronchial arteries (from aorta) carry oxygenated blood to lung tissues like bronchi where it becomes deoxygenated 2) blood returns to the heart in one of two ways - bronchial vein: only a small amount of blood, feeds into superior vena cava, then right atrium - pulmonary veins; most of the blood, feeds into left atrium where it is mixed with oxygenated blood

Question 39

Explain ventilation

Answer 39

Muscles are all skeletal 1) Inspiration (intake of air) - diaphragm and external intercostals contract 2) Expiration (air moves to atmosphere from lungs) - diaphragm and external intercostals relax - exhale is passive