Respiratory System Flashcards by Haley Bryant

Functions of respiration include

gas exchange
communication
olfaction
acid-based balance
blood pressure regulation
blood and lymph flow
blood filtration
expulsion of abdominal contents

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Principal organs of the respiratory system

nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs

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Conducting zone of respiratory system

-includes those passages that serve only for airflow
-no gas exchange
-nostrils through major bronchioles

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Upper respiratory tract

in head and neck

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Lower respiratory tract

organs of the thorax

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Functions of the nose

-warms, cleanses, and humidifies inhaled air
-detects odors
-serves as a resonating chamber

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Three regions of pharynx

-Nasopharynx (passes only air)
-Oropharynx
-Laryngopharynx (passes air food and drink)

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Pharynx Function

assist in swallowing and speech

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Larynx

Voice box

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Larynx function

keep food and drink out of the airway

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Epiglottis

flap of tissue that guards the superior opening of the larynx

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Trachea (windpipe)

about 12cm long
-anterior to esophagus
-16 to 20 C-shaped rings of hyaline cartilage
-trachealis muscle spans opening in rings

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Trachea splits to form ___

right and left main bronchi

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Carina

internal medial ridge in the lowermost tracheal cartilage

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How many alveoli do we have

about half the size of a tennis court

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Squamous (type 1) alveolar cells

gas exchange

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Great (type II) alveolar cells

secrete pulmonary surfactant

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Alveolar macrophages (dust cells)

keep alveoli free from debris by phagocytizing dust particles

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Pulmonary ventilation (breathing)

consists of a repetitive cycle of inspiration (inhaling) and expiration (exhaling)

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Respiratory Cycle

one complete inspiration and expiration

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Diaphragm

prime mover of respiration

Internal and external intercostal muscles

-synergists to diaphragm
-located between ribs

Scalenes

-synergist to diaphragm
-fix or elevate ribs 1 and 2

Hyperventilation

anxiety-triggered state in which breathing is so rapid that it expels CO2 from the body faster than it is produced

Central chemoreceptors

brainstem neurons that respond to changes in pH of cerebrospinal fluid

Peripheral chemoreceptors

located in the carotid and aortic bodies of the large arteries above the heart

Stretch receptors

found in the smooth muscles of bronchi and bronchioles and in the visceral pleura

Irritant receptors

nerve endings amid the epithelial cells of the airway

Boyles Law

at a constant temperature, the pressure of a given quantity of gas is inversely proportional to its volume

Charles Law

volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature

What two factors influence airway resistance

1. Bronchiole diameter 2. Pulmonary compliance

Bronchodilation

increases airflow

Bronchoconstiction

decreases airflow

Pulmonary compliance

ease with which the lungs can expand

Spirometer

a device that recaptures expired breath and records such variables as rate and depth of breathing, speed of expiration, and rate of oxygen consumption

Respiratory volumes

-tidal volume -inspiratory reserve volume -expiratory reserve volume

Restrictive Disorder

characterized by a reduction in pulmonary compliance -any disease that produces pulmonary fibrosis

Obstructive disorders

those that interfere with airflow by narrowing or blocking the airway -make it harder to inhale or exhale a given amount of air

Daltons Law

total atmospheric pressure is the sum of the contributions of the individual gases

Four factors adjust the rate of oxygen unloading to match need

1. ambient PO2 2. ambient pH (Bohr effect) 3. bisphosphoglucerate (BPG) 4. temperature

acidosis

blood pH lower than 7.35

alkalosis

blood pH higher than 7.45

hypocapnia

PCO2 less than 37mm Hg -most common form of alkalosis

hypercapnia

PCO2 greater than 43 mm Hg -most common cause of acidosis

Chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD)

long term obstruction of airflow and substantial reduction in pulmonary ventilation

Chronic bronchitis

-severe, persistent inflammation of lower respiratory tract -goblet cells enlarge and produce excess mucus -immobilized cilia fail to remove mucus -thick, stagnant mucus - ideal for bacterial growth -smoke compromises alveolar macrophage function -develop chronic cough to bring up sputum

Emphysema

-alveolar walls break down -lungs fibrotic and less elastic -air passages collapse -weaken thoracic muscles

Lung cancer accounts for

more deaths than any other form of cancer

Squamous cell carcinoma

most common form of lung cancer -begins with transformation of bronchial epithelium into stratified squamous from ciliated pseudostratified epithelium -dividing cells invade bronchial wall, cause bleeding lesions -dense swirls of keratin replace functional respiratory tissue

Adenocarcinoma

originates in mucous glands of lamina propria

Small Cell (oat cell) carcinoma

-least common, most dangerous -named for clusters of cells that resemble oat grains -originates in primary bronchi, invades mediastinum, metastasizes quickly to other organs