Respiratory system

Question 1

What are the structures making up the upper respiratory tract (5)

Answer 1

1. Nose
2. Nasal cavity
3. Pharynx (Throat)
4. Larnyx
5. Trachea

Question 2

What are the structures making up the lower respiratory tract (2)

Answer 2

1. Bronchi
2. Lungs

Question 3

What is the structure of the bronchi (2)

Answer 3

1. Bronchi → Bronchioles → alveoli
2. Alveoli are the tissue in bronchioles comprising millions of tiny air sacs.

Question 4

What is the problem of surface tension in the Alveoli (3)

Answer 4

1. The surface tension of water is a force which causes a layer of liquid to behave like an elastic sheet or skin.
2. The pulling force can cause the alveolus to collapse.
3. This potential for the alveoli to collapse is newborn respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS)

Question 5

What is the role of pulmonary surfactant (2)

Answer 5

1. Surfactant reduces surface tension.
2. The Alveolus opens more easily, leading to a larger volume and greater gas exchange.

Question 6

What is Asthma (4)

Answer 6

1. Muscles tighten around airway tubes
2. Lining of the airways become inflamed and starts to swell
3. Mucus builds up
4. This all leads to airway obstruction.

Question 7

What is bronchitis (2)

Answer 7

1. Bronchial tube has increased amount of mucus
2. The bronchial wall becomes inflamed.

Question 8

What is emphysema (2)

Answer 8

1. The walls of the air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs weaken and rupture, creating larger air spaces instead of many small ones.
2. This traps air in the damaged areas and makes it harder for your lungs to move oxygen in and carbon dioxide out.

Question 9

What is COPD (3)

Answer 9

1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
2. Used to describe emphysema, chronic bronchitis or more
3. Usually a combination of the two diseases.

Question 10

How does gas exchange occur between the alveoli and capillaries (4)

Answer 10

1. Deoxygenated blood enters from the pulmonary artery into the capillaries
2. The doexygenated blood cells enter the alveoli where oxygen binds to heme on the hemoglobin molecules on the red blood cells and the blood cell becomes oxygenated
3. The oxygenated blood cell then moves through the alveolus wall through the capillary wall
4. Oxygenated blood travels through the capilaries to the pulomary artery.

Question 11

What is the purpose of mitochondria in respiration (2)

Answer 11

1. The mitochondria carry out aerobic respiration
2. The oxygen goes through the TCA cycle (Krebs cycle) that breaks down pyruvate to create energy for the cell

Question 12

What is oxygens use for cellular energy (4)

Answer 12

1. In the presence of oxygen, cells undergo aerobic respiration (TCA cycle/Krebs cycle)
2. In aerobic respiration 1 glucose molecule = a net of 36 ATP
3. In the absence of oxygen, cells undergo anaerobic respiration (Anaerobic glycolysis)
4. In anaerobic glycolysis 1 glucose molecule = a net of 2 ATP