Respiratory System

Question 1

What is the function of the respiratory system?

Answer 1

Oxygen exchange between the atmosphere and blood

Question 2

What are the conducting passages of the respiratory system? What’s their function?

Answer 2

• carry air to the sites of gas exchange
• filter, humidify, and warm the incoming air
• Nose/Nasal cavities
• Pharynx
• Larynx
• Trachea
• Bronchi
• Bronichioles

Question 3

What are the respiratory passages of the respiratory system? What’s their function?

Answer 3

• site of gas exchange in the lungs
• respiratory bronchioles
• alveolar ducts
• alveolar sacs
• alveoli

Question 4

Describe the nose/nasal cavities and function

Answer 4

• external portion- supported by bone and cartilage
• internal cavity divided in half by midline nasal septum and lined with mucosa
• roof of nasal cavity contains olfactory mucosa
  Functions:
  1) cleanse
  2) warm
  3) humidify air
  4) olfaction

Question 5

What does the mucosa consist of?

Answer 5

1) psuedostratified columnar epithelium with cilia and goblet cells
2) underlying connective tissue

Question 6

What is the nasal conchae?

Answer 6

• Project medially from each lateral wall of the nasal cavity
• mucosa-covered, scroll-like structures:
• the superior and middle conchae of the ethmoid bone, and the inferior concha (a separate bone).

Question 7

what is the pharynx?

Answer 7

funnel-shaped passageway that connects the nasal cavity and mouth superiorly to the larynx and esophagus inferiorly
1) Nasal (naso-)pharynx
2) Oral (oro-)pharynx
3) Laryngeal (laryngo-)pharynx
(hypophaynx)

Question 8

what is the larynx?

Answer 8

1) Produced vocalizations.
2) Provides an open airway.
3) Acts as a switching mechanism to route air and food into the proper channels.

Question 9

What are the cartilages of the larynx?

Answer 9

1) Thyroid cartilage: large shield, laryngeal prominence: Adam’s apple
2) Cricoid: inferior to thyroid. , top of trachea, forms a ring
3) arytenoids: posterior part of larynx. anchor the vocal cords
4) epiglottis: composed of elastic cartilage and is covered by a mucosa. Stalk attaches anteriorly to the internal aspect of the angle of the thyroid cartilage.

Question 10

What are the vocal ligaments?

Answer 10

run anteriorly from the arytenoid cartilages to the thyroid cartilage

• (true) vocal cords: mucosal folds
• false vocal cords: vestibular folds

Question 11

What are the major movements of the larynx?

Answer 11

1) Thyroid cartilage hinges on cricoid cartilage: tenses or loosens vocal cords
2) Arytenoid cartilages pivot on cricoid cartilage: Open and close the glottis (space between the vocal cords)