Respiratory System Flashcards
- Name the organs (in order) and their basic functions included in the respiratory system.
1.Nasal cavity (passageway & warm, moisturize & filter air) Pharynx, Larynx (passageway & voice), Trachea, Bronchi, Bronchioles & Alveoli in Lungs (exchange in alveoli)
- Name the bones forming the floor, roof, and walls of the nasal cavity.
2.Palatine process of maxilla & palatine (=hard palate); Nasal & frontal & ethmoid & sphenoid; Maxillae and Nasal Conchae
- Name the bones (and cartilage) forming the nasal septum.
3.Vomer & perpendicular plate of ethmoid
- Define a paranasal sinus.
4.Hollowed cavity in skull bone that communicates with nasal cavity. Frontal, Maxilla, Ethmoid & Sphenoid bones have a sinus. Sinuses serve to make mucus, lighten the skull and resonate sound
- Name the 3 conchae and the grooves between them.
5.Superior, Middle (medial) & Inferior Conchae with Superior, Middle, Inferior Meatuses
- Describe the boundaries for each of the 3 parts of the pharynx.
6.Nasopharynx is internal nares to soft palate; Oropharynx is soft palate to hyoid; Laryngopharynx is hyoid to larynx.
- Locate the tonsils in the pharynx.
7.Nasopharynx houses the pharyngeal tonsil = adenoid; while the Oropharynx houses the lingual & palatine tonsils
- Describe the function of tonsils.
8.Lymphatic function, trapping microorganisms, making lymphocytes, fighting infection
- Define uvula and adenoid.
9.Uvula is also lymphatic tissue hanging from soft palate. Adenoids are the pharyngeal tonsils
- Identify the location of the openings to the eustachian tubes.
10.Eustachian = Auditory tubes are found between nasopharynx and middle ear.
- Name the 9 cartilages of the larynx.
11.2 arytenoids, 2 cuneiforms, 2 corniculates, epiglottis, cricoid, thyroid
- Describe the function of the epiglottis.
12.Prevents choking - closes glottis when swallowing
- Describe how sound is produced for our voices. What is the function of the ventricular folds?
13.As you exhale, the air vibrates the vocal cords. You have muscles to make the vocal cords tighter (higher tones) or looser (lower tones) and you have resonating chambers in nasal cavity & sinuses as well as tongue and lips for enunciation
- Name the tissue that the trachea is made of.
14.Incomplete cartilaginous rings
- Define carina.
15.Inferior end of trachea
- Describe the distribution of cartilage and smooth muscle in the bronchial tree.
16.As you descend the bronchial tree, the amount of cartilage decreases and amount of smooth muscle increases.
- How many lung lobes in each human lung?
17.Three-right; two-left
- Describe the mediastinum.
18.Membranous tissue surrounding all thoracic organs except lungs.
- Define visceral and parietal pleura and pleural cavity.
19.Visceral pleura is shiny covering of lungs, parietal pleura is shiny lining of thoracic cavity & pleural cavity is between the two.
- Define alveoli.
20.Microscopic air sacs in lungs that are where diffusion (exchanges of gases) occurs with blood vessels.
- Describe the alveolar-capillary membrane.
21.One cell layer for each - very thin
- Describe where and how gas (CO2 & O2) exchange takes place.
22.Alveoli, diffusion
- Describe the overall function of the respiratory system.
23.Ventilation & gas exchange
- Explain Boyle’s Law.
24.Given a closed container, the pressure inside is inversely proportional to the size of the container.
- Define ventilation, inspiration, expiration, inhalation, and exhalation.
25.Ventilation is moving air in and out of airways. Inspiration = inhalation is moving air in and expiration = exhalation is moving air out.
- Define atmospheric, intrapulmonary, and intrapleural pressure.
26.Atmospheric pressure is the pressure formed by all of the contributing gases in the air and is 760 mm Hg at sea level. Intrapulmonary pressure is the pressure inside of the lungs & it varies according to Boyle’s law. Intrapleural pressure is a negative (sucking) pressure in the pleural cavity keeping the lungs from collapsing.
- Describe the process of inhalation and the muscles involved.
27.The diaphragm moves inferiorly, and the ribcage (intercostal muscles) moves up and out. This increases the size of the chest which increases the size of the elastic lungs. This drops the intrapulmonary pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. Air naturally moves along the pressure gradient and into the lungs.
- Describe expiration and forced expiration.
28.Expiration is passive, in that the breathing muscles relax which returns the diaphragm to a more dome shape and the ribcage moves down and in. This decreases the size of the chest which decreases the size of the elastic lungs. This increases intrapulmonary pressure to a level higher than atmospheric pressure. Air naturally moves out along its pressure gradient. Forced expiration is big expiration as in with exercise or a cough. Here, abdominal muscles contract & push viscera upward causing the diaphragm to move even more superiorly.
- Describe some factors that influence pulmonary air flow.
29.F = P/R; Parasympathetic stimulation decreases size of airways and Sympathetic stimulation increases size of airways.
- Define surface tension. How does surface tension influence lung expansion?
30.Surface tension arises when like molecules are attracted to each other. If the moisture in the alveoli is attracted to each other the alveolus would collapse.
- Explain the purpose of pulmonary surfactant and how it relates to respiratory distress in premature babies.
31.Alveolar cells make a phospholipid called surfactant that decreases surface tension in the alveoli, therefore preventing collapse. During prenatal development, the surfactant is one of the last substances made and therefore is not present in premature babies, making the lungs collapse and breathing extremely difficult.
- Define tidal volume, respiratory rate, minute respiratory volume, inspiratory reserve volume, inspiratory capacity, expiratory reserve volume, residual volume, functional residual capacity, vital capacity and total lung capacity.
32.TV is the amount of air in or out in a quiet breathing cycle (500 mls); Respiratory rate is the # of breaths/minute (12 breaths/min); Minute resp vol = TV x RR; IRV is the extra air you could inhale after completing your quiet 500 mls of inhalation. IC = IRV + TV; ERV is the extra air you could possible exhale after your quiet 500 mls of exhalation; RV is the amount of air that you cannot exhale no matter how hard you try (about 1000-1200 mls) & it helps prevent lung collapse; FRC = ERV + RV; VC = TV + ERV + IRV; TLC = VC + RV
- Describe dead air volume.
33.Dead air volume is the functionally non useable air because it is somewhere besides your alveoli. With a 500 ml breath, only about 350 mls makes it to your alveoli, leaving 150 mls in your nose, trachea….
- Describe alveolar ventilation and describe the most efficient means of increasing it.
34.TV-Dead air volume is the amount of air reaching the alveoli. Multiply this by RR if you want a rate. The most efficient means of increasing it is by taking deeper breaths - i.e. increasing tidal volume
- Describe some control mechanisms to closely match alveolar airflow and blood flow.
35.Just know that they are closely matched. If a section of lung is damaged & has no airflow, then the blood vessels constrict to reroute that blood to functioning areas of the lung
- Define partial pressure.
36.Each gas’ contribution to the entire atmospheric pressure. It can be calculated by multiplying the % that gas contributes to the atmosphere by the atmospheric pressure
- Describe the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the pulmonary capillaries, and between systemic capillaries and body tissue.
37.Diffusion! If in the alveolus you have PO2 of 105 mmHg and in the blood you have PO2 of 40, the O2 moves into the blood. If a starving brain cell has a PO2 of 40 and the surrounding blood capillaries have a PO2 of 105, the O2 moves into the brain cell. Same theory for CO2 exchange.
- Describe how oxygen is transported in the bloodstream.
38.Hemoglobin
- Describe how the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is affected by PO2, pH, PCO2, temperature, and DPG.
- PO2 is the main determining factor for whether hemoglobin & oxygen are attached or dissociated. As PO2 increases, more hemoglobin and oxygen are attached, as PO2 decreases (like in the area of an exercising muscle that is starving for O2) then hemoglobin & oxygen dissociate so that the oxygen is available to diffuse into tissues that need it. Acid pH, High PCO2 and High DPG shift the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve to the right. What this means, is that the oxygen and hemoglobin are MORE likely to dissociate in tissues that have these conditions which indicate high metabolism.
- Describe how carbon dioxide is carried in the bloodstream.
40.Some as CO2 in plasma, some attached to hemoglobin, but MOST in the form of bicarbonate ions (HCO3-)
- Explain how bicarbonate is formed from water and carbon dioxide.
41.CO2 + H2O H2CO3 H+ and HCO3-
- Describe the chloride shift.
42.Bicarbonate is negatively charged and so are chloride ions. As a negative bicarb moves into a RBC, a negative Cl would move out, keeping the charges balanced.
- Describe the generation of the rhythmical breathing movement; include stimulatory and inhibitory mechanisms.
43.Medullary Rhythmicity (inspiratory)Area in the Medulla is the main control of breathing. It causes inspiration. The only time the expiratory center needs to be active is when you forcefully exhale, because remember, exhalation is normally passive. In the pons are 2 areas. The apneustic area prolongs inspiration and the pneumotaxic area limits inspiration.
- Describe how arterial PO2 influences alveolar ventilation.
44.BIG drops in PO2 increase ventilation
- Describe how arterial PCO2 influences alveolar ventilation.
45.PCO2 is the main control of alveolar ventilation because tiny increases in PCO2 increase ventilation
- Describe how arterial pH influences alveolar ventilation.
46.Not that sensitive to pH values, but a lower pH increases ventilation
- Describe the effects of exercise on the respiratory system.
47.Increase RR, TV, dilated airways, Hemoglobin/Dissociation curve shifts to the right due to increased PCO2, decreased pH and increased metabolic byproducts such as DPG, and cardiovascular changes to carry the gases
