Respiratory System Flashcards
What is the respiratory tree?
A set of tubes which connects the nose/mouth with the millions of alveoli within the 2 lungs
What is the surface of the very thin walled alveoli covered in?
Many thin-walled capillaries
How does oxygen move into the blood?
Diffusion
What is meant by gas exchange?
Oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves it
What are the (4) components of the upper respiratory tract?
Right & left nasal cavities (nose)
or the oral cavity (mouth)
the pharynx (throat)
larynx (voice box)
What are the (5) components of the lower respiratory tract?
Right & left main bronchus (pl. bronchi) Lobar Bronchi Segmental Bronchi Bronchioles Alveoli
The larynx becomes the ____ at the level of C6
trachea
The pharynx becomes the _______ at the level of C6
oesophagus
How many segmental bronchi are there?
One for each of the 10 bronchopulmonary segments (10 in each lung)
How many lobar bronchi are there in the right lung?
3
How many lobar bronchi are there in the left lung?
2
What is a lung lobe?
The area of lung that each of the lobar bronchi supply with air
What are the lung lobes in the right lung?
Upper / Middle / Lower
Lobe
What are the lung lobes in the left lung?
Upper and lower lobe
What are the areas that separate the lobes (gaps) called?
Fissures
Which fissure separates the middle and lower lobe?
Oblique fissure
Which fissure separates the upper and middle lobe?
Horizontal fissue
Which fissure separates the upper and lower lobe?
Oblique fissure
Each lung and each bronchopulmonary cement has its own ____supply, ____ supply, ____ drainage, ____ supply
Air
Blood
Lymphatic
Nerve
Each lung segment is full of _____(2)
bronchioles & alveoli
The inning of the inside of the bronchial tree (except for the distal bronchioles & alveoli) is ____________
Respiratory epithelium
What is the function of respiratory epithelium
Mucous glands secrete mucous onto the epithelial surface
Cilia beat to see the mucous (and any foreign bodies) superiorly, towards the pharynx to be swallowed - called the mucociliary escalator
Which parts of the respiratory tract have their walls supported by hyaline cartilage (2) and what is its functionß
Trachea & all the bronchi
Assists with maintaining the potency of the airways (holding them open=
Distally thee amount of cartilage gradually _____ in the respiratory tree
decreases
Smooth muscle in the walls of the airways becomes progressively more _____ distally
prominent
What is the most prominent feature of the walls of the bronchioles? And what does this feature allow?
Smooth muscle
Allows constriction and dilation
Do alveoli have cartilage or smooth muscle in their walls?
Neither
They would interfere with diffusion - the alveolar walls have to be extremely thin
What sound does air make if it passes through a constricted airway?
Wheeze
What are the main requirements to ensure that enough oxygen and carbon dioxide can diffuse between alveolus and blood at the pulmonary capillary beds?(5)
Sufficient functioning lung tissue Sufficient oxygen in inspire air No carbon dioxide in in inspired air Minimal thickness of the alveolar walls Minimal tissue fluid around the alveolar capillaries
What are the main dangers that can prevent air freely moving into and out of the lungs (2)
Respiratory tract may become narrowed through constriction (asthma) or sweeping of the mucosa (asthma) / growing tumour may externally compress the tract
Foreign bodies being inhales into the respiratory tract (May partially or completely stop breathing)
What separates the right and left nasal cavity?
Nasal septum
Which bones makes up the posterior part of the nasal septum?
Ethmoid bone (superiorly) Vomer (inferiorly)
The anterior portion of the nasal septum is made of _____
septal cartilage
Each nasal cavity has..? (4)
Medial wall
Lateral Wall
Floor (formed from the palate)
Roof (formed by the midline part of the floor of the anterior cranial fossa)
Which cartilages make up the larynx? (4)
Epiglottis
Thyroid cartilage
Cricoid cartilage
2 arytenoid cartilages (posteriorly)
What are the functions for the larynx (3)?
- Cartilages help to maintain potency of the URT
- Helps to prevent the entry of foreign bodies into the LRT
- Produces sound
The trachea is the inferior continuation of the _____
larynx
The epiglottis closes the _____ when we swallow food to ensure it passes from the____ into the oesophagus
larynx
pharynx
What is the narrowest part of the larynx? And subsequently where do large foreign bodies tend to block the URT?
Rima glottidis - the space between the vocal cords
What are the functions of the Vocal ligaments (cords)
Airway protection - close the rims glottides when approximate in the midline preventing entry of foreign bodies into the trachea stimulating a cough reflex
Voice production
What is the difference between phonation and articulation?
Phonation produces sound through vocal cords vibrating because of expired air moving across
Articulation produces speech - modifies sound in the nose or mouth to produce vowels and consonants
The Heimlich Manoeuvre aims to…? (6)
- Raise abdominal pressure
- Which forces diaphragm superiorly
- Raises pressure in the chest
- Raises pressure in the lung
- Forces air from the lung into the trachea
- Forces aire through the rims glottides to expel the foreign body out of the URT
What are the main dangers to ensuring that we move warm, moist, “clean” air into and out of our lungs? (2)
- Cooling and during out of the respiratory tract (damages to the mucociliary escalator & predisposes to infection)
- Breathing in infected foreign bodies or bacteria/viruses etc. (causes infection; commonly of the nose/throat/larynx/lungs)
What is the normal route for breathing in?
Nasal cavities - nasopharynx - oropharynx - laryngopharynx - larynx - trachea
What is the main danger to the lungs?
Penetrating injuries
What makes up the chest wall (superficial to deep)? (5)
Skin & fascia Bones Skeletal muscles Diaphragm Parietal pleura
What does the head of the left 2nd rib articulate with?
The vertebral column
What does the anterior end of the left 2nd rib articulates with
The sternum; at the sternal angle
What are the Joints involved in Breathing?
Costovertebral (rib to vertebrae)
Sternocostal (Sternum to costal cartilage)
Costochondral (rib to costal cartilage) (technically a junction - very immovable)
What are the 3 layers of skeletal muscle located between ribs within the intercostal spaces? (superficial to deep)
External intercostal muscles
Internal intercostal muscles
Innermost intercostal muscles
What type of muscle is the diaphragm?
Skeletal Muscle
Where is the pleural cavity?
Between the parietal and visceral layers of pleura
What is the difference between visceral and parietal pleura?
Visceral: attached to lung lobes
Parietal: internal lining of the chest wall
How is the air warmed?
Arterial supply to walls of the nasal cavity
How is the air moistened?
Respiratory mucosa produces mucous
How is air cleaned?
Mucous traps potential infected cells
Tonsils (lympathic) produce WBCs to fight infection
What is the function of the conchae?
Increase surface area causing turbulent flow na defining the air in contact with the walls of the nasal cavity
