Respiratory System Flashcards
What are the primary functions of the respiratory system?
Ventilation of lungs to supply blood with oxygen to be delivered to all parts of the body and exhalation of the lungs to remove carbon dioxide that cells produce
What is the process of air when it enters the respiratory system?
It flows from the mouth or nasal cavity, travels through the pharynx and down into the trachea
What does air do once it enters the trachea?
It moves to bronchi tubes and enters the lungs, before entering bronchioles where carbon dioxide passes from the blood into the alveoli and is exhaled
What does oxygen do once in your lungs?
It travels from your lungs through the bloodstream to cells in all parts of your body
What do cells do with oxygen and carbon dioxide?
Cels use oxygen as fuel and give off carbon dioxide as waste gas, which is carried by blood back to the lungs to be exhaled
What is the main role of the nasal cavity?
To warm incoming air close to the temperature of the body
What is the main role of the larynx?
Houses the vocal cords and generates sound, pitch and manipulates volume
What is the main role of the trachea?
Also known as the wind pipe, a tube that directs air further down in the direction of the lungs
What are bronchi?
The 2 tubes that branch out towards the lung tissue
What are bronchioles?
Further branches of the bronchi, which separate and divide until they arrive at small sacs, known as alveoli
What are alveoli?
Air sacs that look like millions of bubbles that are closely joined together
What is the major purpose of the alveoli?
To increase the total surface area available for the air to expose itself to the millions of capillaries that surround the sacs
Where does the transfer of gases occur?
In the alveoli
Describe the full process of the respiratory system?
Oxygen is inhaled through the nasal cavity, passes through the larynx into the trachea and is filtered by cilia, arrives and enters the bronchi into the bronchioles, then enters the alveoli were transfer of gases and exhalation occurs
What is the diaphragm?
A flat, dome shaped muscles that lies at the bottom of the chest cavity and functions in breathing
What is inspiration?
The drawing of air into the lungs, where the diaphragm pulls down increasing the space in the chest cavity
What do the intercostal muscles do during inspiration?
Pull together and draw the rib cage up and outwards
What happens during expiration?
The muscles relax as gravity and pressure forces the air out of the lungs
Describe what occurs when you breathe in?
Air flows in, ribs move up and out, lungs expand, intercostals contract, diaphragm contracts and flattens
Describe what occurs when you breathe out?
Air is forced out, ribs move down and in, lungs return to normal, intercostals relax, diaphragm relaxes and is dome shaped
What is total lung capacity?
The volume of air in the lungs at maximal inflation, measured in litres
What is ventilation?
The amount of air we breathe per minute, measured in Litres
What is tidal volume?
The amount of air that is inspired or expired per breath, normally around 500mL
What is respiration rate?
The amount of breaths in or out per minute, on average 12 breaths
How is ventilation calculated?
Tidal volume multiplied by Respiration rate
What is residual volume?
The amount of air left in the lungs after a maximal exhalation, which can never be expired
