Respiratory System Flashcards
What is pulmonary ventilation?
- it is the exchange of air between atmosphere and lungs which is the result of pressure gradients caused by changes in the thoracic cavity volume?
What are the 3 processes involved in exchange of air? Where do they occur?
1) pulmonary ventilation = which include inspiration and expiration
- happens between atmosphere and lungs
2) external respiration = happens between lungs and blood
3) internal respiration = happens between blood and cell
How is Boyle’s Law related to pulmonary ventilation?
- Boyle’s Law states that gas volume is inversely proportionate to pressure
- when volume is increased during inspiration, pressure decreases,
- when volume is decreased during expiration, pressure increases
For the same number of molecules of air, what happens to the amount of gas?
- remains constant
When volume increases as we inhale, what happens to gas pressure?
- decreases
When volume decreases during expiration, what happens to pressure
- increases
What are the types of pressure involved in pulmonary ventilation?
1) atmospheric pressure
2) intrapulmonary pressure
3) intrapleural pressure
What is atmospheric pressure (Patm)?
- the normal pressure which is 760 mmHg (sea level)
What is the intrapulmonary pressure (Palv)
- air pressure inside the lungs
In between breaths, what type of pressure is present?
- atmospheric pressure
What is intrapleural pressure?
- the fluid pressure in the pleural cavity
The intrapleural pressure is at what mmHg?
about 4 mmHg less than atmospheric pressure (Patm) = 756 mmHG (at rest)
Which pressure is greater, intrapleural pressure or intrapulmonary pressure?
- intrapulmonary pressure
Why is intrapleural pressure negative?
because of the lungs tendency to recoil in while the thoracic wall wants to recoil out
What does pulmonary ventilation consist of?
- quiet inspiration
- forced inspiration
- quiet expiration
- forced expiration
At the start of quiet inspiration, where is the atmospheric pressure and intrapulmonary pressure at?
- they are equal since there is not movement of air. Therefore it is 760 mmHg
as soon as air movement happens, what happens in a quiet inspiration?
- the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles contract, which increases the thoracic volume cavity
- this causes the lung to resist because it wants to recoil in, which causes the intrapleural pressure to decrease from 756 mmHg to 754mmHg
- The higher pressure difference between the intrapleural pressure and intrapulmonary pressure causes the lungs to expand this decreasing the intrapulmonary pressure from 760 mmHg to 758 mmHg
- air moves down the pressure gradient until equal pressure between the atmospheric pressure and intrapulmonary pressure is established
During quiet inspiration, what happens to thoracic cavity volume? Why
increases due to the contraction of the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles
During quiet inspiration, what happens with the intrapulmonary pressure?
- at the start its equal to Patm which is 760 mmHg because theres no air movement
- but as soon as air movement occurs, it decreases to 758 mmHg due to lung expansion caused by the high pressure gradient between the Palv and Pip
During quiet inspiration, what happens with the intrapleural pressure?
- it decreases since the lung is resisting the expansion of the thoracic cavity caused by the contraction of the diaphragm and external intercostal pressure
What happens during forced inspiration?
- greater increase in thoracic cavity volume which increases the pressure gradient significantly so more air moves in
What muscles are involved in quiet inspiration?
- diaphragm and external intercostal muscles
What muscles are involved in forced inspiration?
- diaphragm, external intercostal muscles and sternocleidomastoid which work together to pull rib cage up
Are forced and quiet inspirations active processes? Why or why not?
Yes because muscle contractions are involved
During quiet expiration, what happens thoracic cavity volume?
- it decreases because muscles are relaxed which causes the lungs to go back to its resting size passively (no ATP is involved)
During quiet respiration, what happens to intrapleural pressure?
it increases from 754 mmHg back to 756 mmHg
During quiet expiration, what happens to intrapulmonary pressure?
- it increases from 760 mmHg to 762 mmHg
During quiet expiration, air moves in or out of its pressure gradient?
out
Describe the breathing during forced expiration?
- its impeded and laboured (eg. asthma)
Is forced expiration an active process? why or why not
yes because relax diaphragm, external intercostal muscles and internal intercostal muscles are ccotnracting
What muscles are working in a forced expiration?
- relaxed diaphragm, external and internal intercostal muscles
During forced expiration, whats happening with the intrepleural pressure?
- it increases due to the the decrease with the lung’s volume
What happens to the intrapulmonary pressure during forced expiration?
- it increases due which causes more air to move out
Stretch in lungs is determined by two factors. What are they?
compliance and recoil
What is compliance?
it refers to effort needed to stretch the lungs
A low compliance requires _____ effort.
much
a high compliance requires _____ effort
less
What is recoil?
the ability to return to resting size after being stretched. e
What causes recoiling and compliance?
the elastic CT and surfactant
What prevents lungs from collapsing?
- the fact that intrapleural pressure is always lower than intrapulmonary pressure
- the presence of surfactant
What is pneumothorax?
- air the in the pleural cavity which causes lungs to collapse
Why do the lungs collapse in pneumothorax?
- because the atmospheric pressure, intrapulmonary pressure and intrapleaural pressure are all equal, therefore lungs collapse and thoracic wall expands
what happens when Patm = Palv = Pip?
pneumothorax
= lungs collapse and thoracic wall expands
give an example of a surfactant?
lipoprotein/phospholipid mixture
What do lipoproteins/phospholipids mixture (surfactants) do?
- decreases surface tension on surface of watery film on alveoli
- prevents alveolar collapse
- allows easier stretch of lungs therefore compliance is high
What is respiratory distress syndrome?
it is the inadequate amount of surfactants in 7 month gestations to newborn babies
- this causes alveolar collapse and low compliance
- the low compliance requires much effort to stretch the lungs which leads to exhaustion and death
what is the formula for airflow?
F (airflow) = Pressure gradient/resistance
- *pressure gradient = Patm - Palv
- *resistance = airway resistance
what determines airway resistance?
the diameter of bronchi/bronchioles
How does asthma, bronchitis, emphysema affect airway resistance?
they increase it
What mechanism opens airway? Inspiratory or expiratory mechanisms?
inspiratory
What mechanism closes airway? inspiratory or expiratory?
expiratory
How does the SNS affect the diameter of bronchi/broncioles?
- it promotes bronchodilation (dilaltes bronchiolar smooth muscle)
How does PSNS affect bronchi/bronchioles diameter?
- it promotes bronchoconstriction (constricts bronchiolar smooth muschle)
How is respiratory volume measured?
by using a spirometer
1 respiration is equivalent to?
1 inspiration and 1 expiration
What are the different types of respiratory volume?
1) tidal volume
2) inspiratory reserved volume
3) expiratory reserved volume
4) residual volume
5) minute respiratory volume
6) forced expiratory volume in 1 minute
What is the tidal volume?
it is the volume of air inspired or expired in a quiet respiration
about how much air is inspired or expired in a tidal volume?
500 ml
What is the inspiratory reserved volume
it is the excess air on top of the tidal volume that can be inspired in a forced inspiration
How much air can be forcibly inspired usually?
3000 ml
What is the expiratory reserved volume?
the excess air on top of the tidal volume that can be forcible expired in a forced expiration
How much air can usually be expired in a forced expiration?
about 1200 ml
What is the residual volume
- it is the amount of air in lungs after max expiration
Generally, how much is in the lungs after max expiration?
about 1200 ml
What is minute respiratory volume?
- tidal volume x respiratory rate
- TV = ml
- respiratory rate = #ofbreaths/minute
On average what is the minute respiratory volume?
6L/min
What is the forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1)?
it is the volume expired in 1 sec with maximum effort followed by max inspiration
Respiratory capacities are always _________ volumes
2 or more
Respiratory capacities include?
- inspiratory capacity
- vital capacity
- total lung capacity
What is the inspiratory capacity
the total amount of air that can be inspired after a tidal expiration
How is IC calculated?
IC = TV + IRV
What is vital capacity?
- it is the largest volume of exchangeable air (in and out of lungs)
How is VC calculated?
VC = TV + ERV + IRV
What is total lung capacity?
it is the total amount of air the lungs can hold
How is TLC calculated?
TV + IRV + ERV + RV