Respiratory System

Question 1

In a normal breath, how much air do your lungs typically absorb?

Answer 1

10%.

Question 2

How much air can your lungs absorb in a deep breath?

Answer 2

80%.

Question 3

What is the epiglottis?

Answer 3

A flap that protects the respiratory system by closing off the larynx to prevent food and water from entering as you swallow.

Question 4

How many lobes does a human’s right lung have? Left lung? Why?

Answer 4

The right has 3 and the left has 2. This is because the left must compensate for the heart.

Question 5

What do bronchioles have to help us cough stuff out of our lungs?

Answer 5

Cilia.

Question 6

An artery moves…the heart, while a vein moves…the heart.

Answer 6

Artery=away from heart, vein=towards heart

Question 7

What does the pulmonary artery do?

Answer 7

It carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs.

Question 8

Each alveolus is how thick?

Answer 8

1 cell thick.

Question 9

How many alveoli do we have per lung?

Answer 9

350 million.

Question 10

Alveoli are surrounded by…

Answer 10

Capillaries.

Question 11

What does a surfactant do?

Answer 11

It lowers the surface tension so that the alveoli don’t stick together.

Question 12

What happens when a lung collapses?

Answer 12

The bronchioles are closed, preventing the lung from getting oxygen.

Question 13

What is the treatment for a blocked trachea?

Answer 13

Tracheotomy, which is creating a separate windpipe for the person to breathe through.

Question 14

Where are the vocal cords located?

Answer 14

The larnyx.

Question 15

The vocal cords are also thought of as…

Answer 15

The Adam’s apple.

Question 16

How do the vocal cords work?

Answer 16

When we pull air in, we cause vibrations by stretching the skin of the vocal cords. Tighter skin=higher pitch and faster vibration. Looser skin=slower vibration and lower pitch.

Question 17

What tube attaches the sinuses to the eardrum?

Answer 17

The Eustachian tube.

Question 18

What happens to our sinuses when air pressure decreases?

Answer 18

The air pressure in the sinuses would be greater than the air pressure in the ears. This would cause your ears to pop, which is simply opening the flap that separates the sinuses from the ears.

Question 19

What is negative pressure breathing? Describe the roles of the diaphragm and the rib cage.

Answer 19

Negative pressure breathing is creating space in the chest. Inhaling causes the diaphragm to contract and move down while the rib cage moves up, creating a vacuum/space for air to move in. Exhaling: lower rib cage, the diaphragm moves up and relaxes. Less space forces air out.

Question 20

Describe how carbon dioxide affects the blood.

Answer 20

The body monitors O2 levels and the pH of the blood. More Carbon Dioxide from cell respiration (if you are holding your breath) makes your blood pH drop, causing you to gasp for air afterwards. (An increase in H+ means a decrease in pH due to increase in CO2.)

Question 21

When your blood becomes too acidic from holding your breath, what part of the brain forces you to breathe?

Answer 21

The medulla: Involuntary muscle control.

Question 22

The pH of your blood can cause the diaphragm to…

Answer 22

Innervate, which means increase or decrease breathing rate.

Question 23

What are two things that result from hyperventilating?

Answer 23

Vasoconstriction (constricting blood vessels) and dizziness.

Question 24

What is SIDS?

Answer 24

Sudden infant death syndrome: The medulla is underdeveloped, so when the infant falls asleep, the nervous system doesn’t take over, so the baby stops breathing.

Question 25

What is hemoglobin and what does it do?

Answer 25

It is a part of our red blood cells. It holds on to oxygen molecules, moving them in and out of our blood cells.

Question 26

How many hemoglobin molecules do we have per red blood cell?

Answer 26

2.65 million

Question 27

Why is it dangerous if another molecule besides O2 binds to the hemoglobin?

Answer 27

It can stop oxygen from coming in. Ex: hemoglobin will bind to carbon monoxide over oxygen.

Question 28

Why is carbon monoxide dangerous?

Answer 28

It is an odorless, colorless gas that binds to the hemoglobin longer than oxygen will, and it stops O2 from reaching our cells. Since we are still exhaling though, and our pH is unaffected, our body is unaware of the danger.

Question 29

Why is hemoglobin red in humans?

Answer 29

Because of the iron in our blood.

Question 30

What is hemocyanin?

Answer 30

Blue blood, which shows up in organisms like mollusks and arthropods. It is their version of hemoglobin, and it is blue because it contains copper instead of iron.

Question 31

What does a pulmonary vein do?

Answer 31

It takes oxygenated blood from the lungs to the heart so it can be pumped to the rest of the body.