Respiratory System Flashcards
Pharynx
Cone-shaped passageway leading from the oral and nasal cavities in the head to larynx
Epiglottis
A flexible flap at the end of the larynx that acts as a switch between the larynx and the esophagus to permit air to enter the airway to the lungs
Alveoli
Air sacs
Trachea and bronchi
Air tubes large
Bronchioles
Small air tubes
Respiratory bronchioles
Very small air tubes
Larynx aka voice box
The portion of the respiratory (breathing) tract containing the vocal cords which produce sound
Trachea aka windpipe
A wide, hollow tube that connects the larynx (or voice box) to the bronchi of the lungs. It is an integral part of the body’s airway and has the vital function of providing air flow to and from the lungs for respiration.
Bronchi
Structurally similar to the trachea, the two primary bronchi are located inside the lungs. The bronchi become smaller the closer they get to the lung tissue and are then considered bronchioles
Pleura (pleurisy)
A double layered membrane covering the lungs.
Pulmonary edema
Is fluid in the lungs
4 most common types of abnormal breath sounds
Rales (clicking bubbling, rattling of small airways), Rhonchi (sounds that resemble snoring in the large airways),
Stridor (loud, musical sound of constant pitch in the back of thought), and
Wheezing (high pitched sounds of opposing airways walls when narrowed)
Primary Function of the respiratory system
is to bring in oxygen into the body and to rid the body of carbon dioxide
Respiration
is the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the atmosphere and the cells of the body
Desaturation
In some individuals with pulmonary disease, the respiratory system may not keep up with demand and oxygen levels may fall during exercise.
Dyspnea
Shortness of breath
What are some of the things that can cause obstruction?
- muscle spasm,
- swelling or inflammation of the bronchial linings
- accumulation of mucus or fluids
- Pus arising from inflammation
- inflections or immune reactions
What are some of the things that can cause restriction
- compression (lung prevented from expanding)
- loss of lung structures (Collapsed lung (pneumothorax) or a lung surgically removed
- loss of the capacity of the lung to expand (fibrosis in the lung can prevent expansion)
pneumothorax
Collapsed lungs
Blebs
small air blisters that develop on the top of the lung
Restrictive lung disease
limits lung volume causing non-efficient gas transfer
restrictive lung disorders
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Obesity
- Scoliosis
- Neuro impairments such as MD, ALS, Polio, and Myasthenia graves
Obstructive Lung disorders
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Emphysema
- Asthma
- Cystic fibrosis
- bronchiectasis
- tuberculosis
Chronic Bronchitis “blue bloater”
Involves inflammation of the large airways
