Respiratory System Flashcards
Gas Exchange:
Facilitates the intake of oxygen and removal or CO2
Gas flow > Diffusion of gasses > Perfusion for blood flow
Acid-base balance
Regulates pH of blood, prevents alkalosis and acidosis
Phonation
Production of speech sounds
Filtration
The entire cardiac output from the right ventricle passes via pulmonary circulation.
–> Allows lungs to act as a filter and prevent air bubbles passing from left side of the heart to the systemic circulation
Metabolic
Transformation or removal of chemical substances in pulmonary circulation
i.e. Inactivates noradrenaline
Pulmonary Defence Mechanism
Protects the body from airborne threats; uses adaptive and innate immunity.
What is the lung incased in?
Parietal pleura (outtermost)
Pleural cavity (between)
Visceral pleura (innermost)
The pleurae of the Lungs: Lubrication serves to…
Reduce friction during breathing
The pleurae of the Lungs: Surface tension
helps position of the lungs against the thoracic wall
The pleurae of the Lungs: Division
isolates the respiratory system from other major organs
Fick’s Law of Diffusion
Shorter distance – Greater rate of diffusion
Greater surface area – Great rate of diffusion
Type I pneumocytes / Type 1 alveolar cells
Most abundant (97%), involved in gas exchange
Type II pneumocytes / Type 2 alveolar cells
Produce and secrete surfactant, a phospholipid
(both hydrophilic and hydrophobic) that lines the inner
alveolar surface to reduce surface tension.
Alveoli macrophages
Phagocytic cells that remove foreign debris and pathogens
The conducting zone is comprised of:
Nose –> Pharynx –> Larynx –> Trachea –> Bronchi –> Bronchioles
The respiratory system is isolated from all other systems. T/F
True
The conducing zone acts to:
- Humidifies air
- Facilitates the passage of air in & out of TRS
- Traps debris and pathogens via mucous membrane
The respiratory zone is comprised of:
Terminal bronchioles –> Alveolar ducts –> Alveolar sacs –> Plural Alveoli
The respiratory zone acts to:
Exchange of gas between the respiratory system and the circulatory system
Capillaries are wrapped around the alveolar sacs to form the respiratory membrane.
Simple diffusion of gasses between blood and air
Epithelia along the start of the respiratory tract (trachea/bronchus) consist of…
thick, pseudostratified layer with submucosal glands.
The bronchiolus consists of:
cuboidal epithelium
In the alveolus, squamous epithelial cells form a thin, single-layered continuous membrane that allows diffusion to easily occur. T/F
True
What is responsible for increasing surface area availability during gas exchange?
Alveoli
Terminal bronchi is encased in…
Smooth muscle