Respiratory System Flashcards
How does the respiratory system condition inspire air?
- humidify by serous and mucous secretions
- warm by underlying blood vessels
- filter by particles being trapped in mucous secretions
What is the respiratory system responsible for?
- respiration
- conditioning of inspired air
- phonation
- olfaction sense
- protecting the respiratory surfaces from environmental variations and pathogenic invasion
What is phonation?
production and utterance of speech sounds
Where is the nasal cavity?
above the bone that forms the roof of the mouth and curves down at the back to join the throat
What does the nasal septum do?
divide the nasal cavity into 2 fossa (nostrils)
What is each nasal fossa lined with?
pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelial cells
What are the nasal conchae responsible for?
filtration, heating, and humidification of air inhaled through the nose
What is the largest space in the nasal cavity and where does it lie?
the inferior nasal meatus that lies beneath the inferior nasal concha and the lateral wall
Where is the superior nasal meatus?
between the superior and middle nasal conchae
What is the olfactory epithelium?
membranous tissue located inside the nasal cavity
What are the roles of the nasal fossa?
- decrease weight of the skull
- improve resonance of the voice
- temperature insulation
What are paranasal sinuses lined with?
respiratory mucosa (ciliated and secrete mucus)
What are paranasal sinuses innervated by?
the first and second branch of the trigeminal nerve (ophthalmic and maxillary)
What 5 cells line the respiratory tract?
- pseudostratified ciliated columnar cells
- mucous goblet cells
- brush cells
- basal cells
- small granule cells
What are basal cells?
cuboidal stem cells of the airway that line the basement membrane with a large nucleus (high sensitivity to cigarette smoke)
What is the mucociliary escalator responsible for?
movement of mucus up and out of the respiratory tract
What is the lamina propria?
a thin layer of areola connective tissue that supports the epithelium
What does the mucosa consist of?
epithelium and lamina propria
Why are nose bleeds common from the nasal cavity?
the region is highly vascularised (i.e. contains lots of blood vessels)
What is the pharynx?
passage between the oral and nasal cavities and the larynx and oesophagus
What does the pharynx do?
separate the air and food pathways
What is the nasopharynx?
the most superior part of the pharynx bounded superiorly by the skull base and inferiorly by the soft palate
What does the nasopharynx connect the pharynx to?
the oropharynx
What does the larynx link?
the pharynx to the trachea
What are the 3 types of cartilage support of the larynx?
- thyroid (largest)
- cricoid
- epiglottis
What is the epiglottis?
a flap made of elastic cartilage that covers the trachea during swallowing so that food does not enter the lungs
What is the glottis?
the region within the voice box that contains the vocal cords responsible for phonation and sound
What does the thyroid cartilage do?
protect the vocal cords together with the cricoid cartilage
What is the vestibular fold (false vocal cord)?
a fold of mucous membrane that encloses the vestibular ligament, not involved in sound production