Respiratory System Flashcards
What is the role of surfactant?
Reduces surface tension of water molecules lining alveoli. Allows them to stay inflated?
What is dynamic airway compression?
?
What do our airways do to air?
- Moisten to saturation
- Heated
- Cleaned/Filtered by cilia and/or mucus (mucociliary escalator)
Describe the setup of alveoli and pulmonary capillaries.
- Capillaries are like grapes, not soap bubbles; share walls.
- Capillaries are in close contact with alveoli and coat them in a thin layer of blood.
What are type 1 cells?
-Squamous epithelial cells
What are type 2 cells?
-Fewer in number than type one cells; create surfactant.
What is a main reason that inspiration at rest should be easy?
-Only small pressure changes are needed for inspiration/expiration
At what point in development does surfactant start being produced?
-28 weeks.
What is the role of surfactant in the lungs?
-Reduce surface tension of water molecules lining alveoli.
What is accomplished by having small airways tethered to surrounding alveoli?
- airway diameter increases at large lung volumes.
- higher expiratory flow rates can be achieved at higher volumes.
What are some causes of bronchiolar constriction?
- Histamines
- Parasympathetic nervous stimulation
- decreased partial pressure of CO2
- expiration
What are some causes of bronchiolar dilation?
- epinephrine and B2 stimulators
- increased partial pressure of CO2
- Inspiration
What does O2 impact via dilation?
Blood vessels
What does CO2 impact via dilation?
Bronchioles
