Respiratory System Flashcards
Cellular Respiration
Process that extracts energy from an energy rich molecule of glucose, generating waste CO2 that must be removed from body cells. Needs O2
Oxygen
Part of air, produced by plants
21% atmospheric, 16% exhaled
Carbon dioxide
0.03% atmospheric, 4% exhaled
Nitrogen
78% both atmospheric and exhaled
Not used by body cells
Water vapour
Saturated in exhaled air, as moisture evaporates from the surface of the lungs
Temperature
Exhaled is higher, as it is warmed by body temperature
Features of EVERY Respiratory System
- SURFACE AREA
- must be big enough for O2 and CO2 exchange to occur at a rate that meets the organisms metabolic needs - MOISTURE
- environment of gas exchange must be moist, so O2 and CO2 can dissolve and be diffused
External Respiration
Breathing
Bringing air into the body (inhalation) and releasing it into the atmosphere (exhalation)
Internal Respiration
O2 and CO2 are exchanged between the blood vessels and cells
Amoeba
External Respiration
- oxygen, dissolved in surrounding water, diffuses through the outer membrane
- whole membrane acts as surface area
- aquatic/moist environment
Planarian (flatworm)
External Respiration
- flat and thin for diffusion to occur through skin
- thin enough that O2 can reach all cells
- width: large surface area
- moist environments
Earthworm
External Respiration:
- skin respiration
- use circulatory system to carry O2 to cells that cannot rely on diffusion
- skin must be moist = moist environments (water, damp earth)
Fish
External Respiration:
- takes water in through the mouth, passes over gills, and out through openings in the side of the neck
- gills are extensions/folds that increase surface area through which gases are exchanged
- connected to capillaries, vascular system carries O2 through the body
- aquatic habitat
Salamander
External Respiration:
- gills like tiny fingers stick into water; water flows past gills, O2 taken in through tissue and carried by circulatory system
Grasshopper
Internal Respiration:
- spiracles: holes/pores on the thorax/abdomen through which air enters (controlled by valves; hair-like filters catch dust)
- trachaea: air tubes that carry O2 to the body
- terrestrial
Frog
External/Internal Respiration:
- skin, lungs, lining of mouth
- terrestrial and aquatic
Green Plant
Stomate allow air to enter leaves. Spaces between cells allow air to circulate
Respiratory System
Group of organs that provides living things with O2 from outside the body and disposes CO2 from inside.
Main features: air sac (lungs), system of tubes connecting lungs to external environment
Functions: breathing, gas exchange
Mouth (oral cavity)
Large opening for air to enter
Used in times opf obstruction, when air needs to get in and out quickly
Nostrils (nose)
Two nostrils that contain nasal hairs
Air-cleaning system: trap large foreign particles
Nasal Cavity/Passage
Separated from the mouth by the palate (eat/breathe at the same time)
Turbinates (thin bones) hang suspended from the nasal chambers
Specialized ciliated cells line the inside wall and are part of an air cleaning system that secrete a sticky mucus that:
1. Filter the air by trapping small foreign particles. The continual movement of the cilia propel them back into the nose and throat where they can coughed/sneezed out
2. Moistens the air
Blood circulates the lining of this passage to help WARM the inhaled air
Sinuses (frontal, maxillary, spenoidal)
Small hollow spaces in the bones of the head that connect to the nasal cavity
Help regulate temperature and humidity of inhaled air
Lighter bone structure in the head is thought to also give resonance to the voice
Eustachian Tube
Opening that connects the middle ear with the nasal-sinus cavity
Adenoids
Overgrown lymph tissue at the top of the throat
White blood cells circulate through lymphoid tissue, reacting to foreign invaders in the body
Tonsils
Lymph nodes at the wall of the pharynx
Important to germ fighting system
Pharynx
Muscular tube at the middle of the throat
Dual tract (air to windpipe, food to esophagus)
Function: FILTER, WARM, MOISTEN air (NO CILIA) (also food from mouth to stomach)
Glottis
Opening of the trachea above the vocal cords
Air enters larynx, conducts air to lungs
Epiglottis
Flap like tissue
Guards the enterance to the trachea, closing when anything is swallowed to prevent choking
Larynx (voice box)
Contains vocal chords: two bands of tissue stretched across the top of the trachea
Air is forced between the cords causing them to vibrate and make sound
Trachea
Hollow windpipe 12 cm long that is kept open by rings of cartilage for structural support
Divides into the two main branching tubes one for each lung that then divide further
Major passageway for air
Ciliated cells FILTER, WARM, MOISTEN air - beat simultaneously to move trapped particles upwards into the pharynx to be expelled/swallowed
Lungs
Sponge-like tissue; bag-like organs that contain the major air sacs (alveoli)
Right lung: 3 LOBES - upper, middle, lower
Left lung: 2 LOBES - upper, lower
Enveloped in layers of tissue called pleura (PLEURA CAVITY): a flexible membrane that allows the lungs to expand and contract during breathing
Diaphragm
Thin sheet of strong muscle that divides the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity
Works with the INTERCOSTAL muscles to assist in ventilation of the lungs
Move down, create suction to draw air in and expand lungs
Ribs
Chest cavity bones associated with intercostal muscles
Support and protect chest cavity
Move a limited degree to help expand/contract
Bronchi (sing. bronchus)
Right and left tracheal extensions
Lined with ciliated cells which continue to FILTER, WARM, MOISTEN
Bronchioles
Network of finer tubes where each ends with alveolar sacs
Deliver warm, moist air to lungs
Alveoli (alveolus)
Clusters of tiny air sacs
The final destination of the air
Mechanics of Inhalation
Diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract
Diaphragm flattens
Ribs move up and out
Volume of chest cavity increases
Air moves in (from the external to internal environment)
Mechanics of Exhalation
Diaphragm and intercostal muscles realx
Diaphragm raises (inverted bowl)
Ribs move down and in
Volume of chest cavity decreases
Air moves out (internal to external environment)
Characteristics of Alveoli
- Hollow, thin walled
- Large surface area
- Form a moist boundary
- Surrounded by blood vessels (capillaries)
Gas Exchange
Inhalation bring in O2-rich air
O2 dissulves in alveoli moisture, diffuses into capillaries
Combines with hemoglobin = oxy-hemoglobin (oxygenated blood)
Hb + O2 = HbO2
Oxygenated blood taken back to the heart in pulmonary vein, ready to pump to rest of body
CO2 is released from tissue cells and transported in the plasma as H2CO3 (carbonic acid) to alveoli
CO2 + H2O = H2CO3
Since concentration of CO2 in blood is higher than in the alveoli, it diffuses from blood to alveoli
Diffusion Principle
High O2 External -> Low O2 Internal
- O2 move from alveoli to blood
High CO2 Internal -> Low CO2 External
- CO2 moves from blood to alveoli
Tidal Volume
Volume of air inhaled and exaled during each normal breath
200-500mL
Height of smallest wave
Inspiratory Reserve Volume
Volume of additional air a person can inhale beyond a tidal (normal breath)
3 000mL (1 900 females, 3 300 males)
From top of tidal wave to the top
Inspiratory Capacity
Tidal volume plus the inspiratory reserve - total volume person can inhale
3 500-4 000 mL
From bottom of tidal wave to the top
Expiratory Reserve Volume
Volume of additional air that may be exhaled after a normal exhalation
700-1 200mL
From bottom of tidal wave to line
Residual Volume
The volume of air that remains in the lungs after a forced exhalation
1 100-1 200mL
Below line
Vital Capacity
Total volume of air that can be moved in and out of the lungs
Most important measure of the condition of a person’s lungs
4 500-5 000mL
Bottom of expiratory reserve (line) to the top
Total Lung Capacity
Sum of the vital capacity and the residual volume
4 200-6 000mL
Whole graph
Control of Breathing
Medulla Oblongata
Send signals to the muscles that control respiration to cause breathing
Chemical Regulation
Involuntary control
- part of body’s homeostasis to maintain concentrations of CO2, O2, HCO3-, pH
- level of acid in blood controls breathing rate
High Altitudes
High elevation = lower air pressure, thinner air
Less oxygen available
Altitude syckness (hypoxia) - increased breathing rate and red blood cell count, nausea, dizziness and weakness
Can allow for exceptional physical endurance
Respiratory Impairment (Drowning)
Death in water
Fresh water: water enters lungs and washes away a special coat on the alveoli that causes them to collapse
Salt water: water is drawn out of the capillaries and into the lungs, preventing oxygen from reaching the alveoli
Carbon Monoxide
Clear colourless gas (product of combustion reactions)
High affinity for binding with hemoglobin, taking the place of oxygen
Absorbed into the bloodstream quicker
Nausea, dizziness, weakness, permanent damage, and death
Air Pollution
Increase toxins in the air - take place of oxygen
Contribute to respiratory illnesses
Smoking
Cancers, cardiovascular diseases
Common cold
Viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects nose, throat, and sinuses
Bronchitis
An inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from the lungs
Asthma
A common long term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs where the pathways are narrowed. Quite common in young children
Lung Cancer
Abnormal cell growth that begins in the lungs
Tuberculosis
Infectious disease caused by a bacterium that attacks tissues. Symptoms: coughing, chest pain, weight loss
Pneumonia
Infection of the alveoli caused by micro-organisms. Tissue fluids accumulate in the alveoli reducing the surface area exposed to air
Emphysema
Chronic lung disease that damages the alveoli in the lungs, usually caused by long term cigarette smoking
Cystic Fibrosis
Hereditary disorder that causes the production of abnormally thick mucus, leading to the blockage of the pancreatic ducts, intestines, and bronchi, and often resulting in a respiratory infection
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
Chronic inflammatory disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs
Influenza
Caused by an infectious virus that has a range of symptoms from mild to sever, including high fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pains, headache, soughing, sneezing, and feeling tired
