Respiratory system (advanced)

Question 1

What can be found in the human thorax?

Answer 1

Air Pathway Anatomy:
* Nose
* Pharynx
* Larynx
* Trachea
* Bronchi

Anatomy:
* Lungs
* Ribs & Intercostal Muscles
* Pleural Muscles
* Diaphragm

Question 2

What are the organ that make the respiratory system?

Answer 2

• Nose * Nasal cavity
• Naso-pharynx * Larynx
  Trachea * Bronchus
• Bronchioles * Alveolar ducts
  Alveoli(air sacs)

Question 3

What is the nose?

Answer 3

Each nasal cavity is bounded by a wall of spongy bone, hyaline cartilage and skeletal muscle.

• The nasal cavity includes the respiratory area which is present in the posterior part of the nasal cavity; it’s covered by pseudo-compound ciliated epithelium with goblet cells.
• Cilia and mucus are along the inside wall of the nasal cavity trap and they remove dust and pathogens from the air which flows through the nasal cavity.
• Also the cilia moves mucus down the nasal cavity to the pharynx where it can
  be swallowed.

Question 4

What is the anatomy of the nose?

Answer 4

• Looks like a pyramid.
• The nasal cavity is divided
  into two nasal passages.
• Nasal passages are
  covered by a moist
  mucous membrane.
• Air, as it passes, is made
  moist & warm to protect
  the lungs from the harmful
  effects of dry air.
• Fine hairs filter the dust
  particles present in the air.

Question 5

What are the functions of the nose?

Answer 5

*Provides an airway for respiration.
*Moistens and warms entering air.
*Filters and cleans inspired air.
*Resonating chamber for speech.
*Detects odor in the air stream.

Question 6

What is the pharynx?

Answer 6

The pharynx is one of the organs found in the respiratory system.
The pharynx is part of the throat located behind the mouth and nasal cavity BUT
above the esophagus and larynx. It is found in both vertebrates and invertebrates however the structure is not
the same.

Question 7

What is the structure and function of the pharynx?

Answer 7

It connects the nasal cavity with the larynx. Its surface is lined with pseudo compound ciliated with goblet cells.
It is 2 to 3 cm wide and 3 to 4 cm long.
It provides a passage for air during breathing.
The nasopharynx remains open even when surrounding muscles flex so that the person can continue to carry on respiratory functions

Question 8

What does the pharynx contain?

Answer 8

The nasopharynx is the upper part of the throat behind the nose. It is a part of the pharynx, which comprises three sections:
1. Nasopharynx
2. Oropharynx
3. Hypopharynx or laryngopharynx.

Question 9

What is the larynx?

Answer 9

The larynx, commonly called the voice box, is an organ found in the neck. The larynx houses the coal folds (vocal cords), which are essential for phonation. The vocal folds are situated just below where the tract of the pharynx splits into the trachea and the
esophagus.

Question 10

What is the function of the larynx?

Answer 10

The larynx connects the pharynx with the trachea.
It has two functions:-
1. Prevention of food and fluid from entering the respiratory passages.
2. Production of voice (the larynx is also known as the voice box.)
The larynx is formed by elastic cartilage also the epiglottis.
The larynx is lined with pseudo-compound ciliated epithelium with goblet cells
in between , except the vocal chords and the anterior surface of the epiglottis
which are covered only with compound squamous epithelium.

Question 11

What is the trachea?

Answer 11

It is formed of a tube about 20 cm long. It is divided below into two primary bronchi. It is kept open all the time because of the presence of about 20 c-shaped or incomplete rings of hyaline cartilage of its wall. It is incomplete ring of hyaline because this allows the trachea to collapse slightly to allow food to pass down the esophagus. The trachea is lined with pseudo compound ciliated cells.

Question 12

What are the functions of the trachea?

Answer 12

Provides a clear airway for air to enter and exit
the lungs.
The epithelium lining the trachea produces mucus that traps dust and other contaminants and prevents it from reaching the lungs.
Cilia moves the mucus towards the pharynx
where it can be swallowed and digested in the
gastrointestinal tract.

Question 13

What is the bronchi?

Answer 13

*The trachea (windpipe) conducts inhaled air into the
lungs through its tubular branches, called bronchi. The
bronchi then divides into smaller and smaller branches (bronchioles), finally becoming microscopic.
*The bronchioles eventually end in clusters of microscopic air sacs called alveoli.

Question 14

What is the anatomy of the bronchi?

Answer 14

• Primary bronchi are located in the upper portion of the lungs, with secondary bronchi near the center of the lungs. Tertiary bronchi are located near the bottom of these organs, just above
  the bronchioles.
• No gas exchanges occur in any of the bronchi.

Question 15

What is the function of the bronchi?

Answer 15

The main function of the bronchi and bronchioles is to carry air from the trachea into the lungs. Smooth muscle tissue in their walls helps to regulate airflow into the lungs.
The bronchi and bronchioles use the mucus and cilia of their epithelial lining to trap and move dust and other contaminants away from the lungs.

Question 16

What are the lungs?

Answer 16

 The human lungs are the main organs of the respiratory system.
 They are a pair of large, spongy organs.
 Responsible for gas exchange between our blood and the air.
* There are two lungs each one is present at one side in the thoracic cavity.
* The right lung has three lobes, while the left lung has two lobes.
* Each lung is formed of bronchial tree, alveolar ducts, alveoli, blood vessels.
* The alveoli are the primary site of gases exchange with the blood.
* The lung contains about 300,000,000 alveoli.

Question 17

What is the lung anatomy?

Answer 17

Location: In the thoracic cavity. Function: where gases exchange with the blood.
* The right lung has 3 lobes whereas the left lung
has 2 lobes.
* The lobes are filled with small, spongy sacs called
alveoli.
* The lungs’ tissue surface is almost 40 times greater
than the body’s outer surface, making the lungs
one of the largest organs in the body.

Question 18

What is the alveoli?

Answer 18

*Alveoli are the functional units of the lungs that permit gas exchange between the air in the lungs and the blood in the capillaries of the
lungs.
*Each alveolus is a hollow, cup-shaped cavity
surrounded by many tiny capillaries.

Question 19

How are alveoli linked and what is at the end of each alveolar duct?

Answer 19

• At the end of each alveolar duct there are a number of sac-like structures called alveoli, it is within these structures that surfactant is
  produced.(Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid,
  the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid)
• The alveoli are grouped together like a lot of interlinked caves, rather
  than existing as separate individual sacs.

Question 20

How does gas exchange occur in alveoli?

Answer 20

• Oxygen from the inhaled air diffuses through the walls of the alveoli
  and adjacent capillaries into the red blood cells.
• The oxygen is then carried by the blood to the body tissues. Carbon
  dioxide produced by the body’s metabolism returns to the lung via the
  blood.
• It then diffuses across the capillary and alveolar walls into the air to be
  removed from the body with expiration.

Question 21

How are alveoli specialized?

Answer 21

• Walls are extremely thin.
• They have a large surface area in relation to volume.
• They are fluid lined enabling gases to dissolve.
• They are surrounded by numerous capillaries.

Question 22

What are the ribs?

Answer 22

Function: To protect lungs, solidify thoracic region and to aid ventilation.
* The intercostal muscles are a group of 22 pairs of tiny muscles found between the ribs.
* The 22 pairs of intercostal muscles are broken down into two groups: 11 pairs of internal intercostal and 11 pairs of external
intercostal.

Question 23

What is the diaphragm?

Answer 23

Function: Controls breathing, separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity.
* The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of the lungs.
* Openings in the diaphragm allow the esophagus, nerves, descending aorta, and inferior vena cava to pass between the
thoracic and abdominal cavities.

Question 24

What is the larynx made of?

Answer 24

The Larynx is made up of elastic cartilage.
There are nine cartilages, three unpaired and three paired, that support the mammalian larynx and form its skeleton.

Question 25

What are the paired cartilages?

Answer 25

• Arytenoid cartilages: Of the paired cartilages, the arytenoid cartilages are the most important because they influence the position and tension of the vocal folds. These are triangular pieces of
  mostly hyaline cartilage located at the posterior superior border of the cricoid cartilage.
• Corniculate cartilages: Horn-shaped pieces of elastic cartilage located at the apex of each arytenoid cartilage.
• Cuneiform cartilages: Club-shaped pieces of elastic cartilages located
  anterior to the corniculate cartilages.

Question 26

What are the unpaired cartilages?

Answer 26

• Thyroid cartilage: This forms the Adam’s apple. It is usually larger in males than in females. The thyrohyoid membrane is a ligament associated with the thyroid cartilage that connects the thyroid cartilage with the hyoid bone.
• Cricoid cartilage: A ring of hyaline cartilage that forms the inferior of the larynx. It is attached to the top of trachea. The median cricothyroid ligament connects the cricoid cartilage to the thyroid cartilage.
• Epiglottis: A large, spoon-shaped piece of elastic cartilage. During swallowing, the pharynx and larynx rise. Elevation of the pharynx widens it to receive food and drink; elevation of the larynx causes the epiglottis to move down and form a lid over the glottis, closing it off.

Question 27

What are the muscles of larynx divided into?

Answer 27

• The intrinsic laryngeal muscles are responsible for controlling sound and production.
• The extrinsic laryngeal muscles support and position the larynx within the trachea.

Question 28

What is the trachea?

Answer 28

 It’s lined with pseudo compound ciliated
epithelial cells.

 Made of incomplete rings of hyaline
cartilage.

Question 29

What is respiration divided into?

Answer 29

1. Internal or Cellular Respiration
2. External Respiration

Question 30

What is internal or cellular respiration?

Answer 30

Location: Mitochondria in cells.
Main function: To release energy.
Aerobic Respiration:
* It requires oxygen and it releases lots of energy.
* C6H12O6 + 6O2= 6H2O + 6CO2 + ATP
Anaerobic Respiration:
* It does not require oxygen but releases much less energy in comparison.
* C6H12O6=lactic acid + ATP
During these 2 process ATP is formed, which is then broken down and hydrolyzed to form ADP + phosphoric acid, and energy is given out.

Question 31

What is external respiration?

Answer 31

• Is simply the process of ventilation.
• Main and only function is to take in oxygen from the air and return carbon dioxide.

Question 32

What is ventilation?

Answer 32

The human respiratory system consists of a tube leading from the nose and mouth down to two lungs. The lungs have millions of specialized
cells called alveoli. These cells filter oxygen from the air to directly provide to the blood. This is possible because of the tiny blood vessels
called capillaries that surround the alveoli.

Question 33

What is ventilation divided to?

Answer 33

inhaling and
exhaling.

Question 34

What is inhalation?

Answer 34

It is the intake of air through the change of pressure and volume due to the movement of muscles and the movement of the rib cage. The diaphragm relaxes and goes downwards,
and the inner intercostal relaxes and the outer intercostal muscles contract, the ribcage goes outwards and upwards to increase the volume
of the lungs, decreasing the pressure inside the lungs, making air (gas) move from a region of high pressure (atmosphere) to a region of low
pressure… and that is the process of inhalation.

Question 35

What is exhalation?

Answer 35

It’s the process of releasing air (gas) inside the lungs to the atmosphere…The diaphragm contracts and goes upwards, decreasing the volume of
the lungs, and the inner intercostal contracts and the outer intercostal muscles relaxes, the ribcage goes inwards and downwards to (decreasing
the volume of the lungs, increasing the pressure inside the lungs) this causes air to leave the lungs going back to the atmosphere.

Question 36

How is breathing controlled?

Answer 36

Breathing is controlled by the expansion and contraction of the diaphragm. This dome-shaped muscle is located below the lungs, and it
compresses and expands the lungs to make the body perform the subconscious reflex of breathing. The diaphragm does this about 12 to 20 times every minute, changing according to what an individual is doing.

People in a state of panic might hyperventilate, or breathe much faster than normal, in an effort to introduce more oxygen to the blood in an
emergency. This biological reflex is one of the few that can be consciously controlled. Anyone hyperventilating can calm themselves
down by forcing more measured breathing.

Question 37

What is the path of air through body?

Answer 37

• Air enters the body through the nose is warmed filtered and passed through the nasal cavity. Air passes the pharynx. The upper part of the trachea contains the larynx after passing the larynx the air moves into the bronchi that carries air in and out of the lungs.
• Bronchi are rein enforced to prevent their collapse and are lined with
  ciliated epithelial and mucous producing cells.
• Bronchi branch into smaller and smaller tubes known as bronchioles.
• Bronchioles terminate into grape like sac cluster known as alveoli. Alveoli are surrounded by a network of thin walled capillaries (to
  complete the respiration process)

Question 38

How is oxygen transported through body?

Answer 38

• At rest, the cells of a human needs about 50,000,000 of oxygen per minute. After oxygen enters the blood capillaries in the lungs it diffuses into the red blood cells and unites with the respiratory pigment known as haemoglobin in the form:- Hb+O2= HbO2
• The arrow indicates that the reaction is reversible, In the lungs the reaction goes to the right from oxyhaemoglobin, and in the tissues, it goes to the left releasing O2.

Question 39

How is the process of transport of oxygen controlled?

Answer 39

(1) The amount of oxygen present.
(2) A lower extent of the amount of carbon dioxide.
* In the lungs the concentration of the oxygen is relatively
high and thus the oxyhaemoglobin is formed. In the tissues, the oxygen is little and accordingly
oxyhaemoglobin breaks down releasing oxygen to
diffuse to the tissue cells.

Question 40

How can the transport of oxygen be affected?

Answer 40

• As regards that carbon dioxide reacts with water forming the carbonic acid (H2CO3) and so an increase in CO2 increases the acidity of the blood and accordingly decreases the oxygen carrying the capacity of the haemoglobin.
• Oxygen (O2) released from haemoglobin by combined effect of low oxygen tension and high carbon dioxide tension.

Question 41

How is carbondioxide transported?

Answer 41

• As regards that carbon dioxide reacts with water forming the carbonic acid (H2CO3) and so an increase in CO2 increases the acidity of the blood and accordingly decreases the oxygen carrying the capacity of the haemoglobin.
• Oxygen (O2) released from haemoglobin by combined effect of low oxygen tension and high carbon dioxide
  tension.

Question 42

How is carbonic acid and co2 linked?

Answer 42

• The process of converting carbon dioxide into carbonic acid in the capillaries of the tissues and of converting carbonic acid into carbon dioxide in the lung capillaries is catalyzed (speeds up) by an enzyme called carbonic anhyrase.

Question 43

Which vein or artery does not carry deoxygenated and oxygenated blood?

Answer 43

All veins inside the body takes deoxygenated blood except pulmonary vein. All arteries inside the body take oxygenated blood except for the pulmonary artery.

Question 44

What is emphysema?

Answer 44

Long-term smoking often causes emphysema. In
emphysema, the lungs produce an excessive amount of mucus and the alveoli become damaged. It becomes difficult to breathe and get enough oxygen into the blood.

Question 45

What is lung cancer?

Answer 45

Caused by an abnormal growth of cells in
the lungs, lung cancer is usually caused by
smoking cigarettes. It starts in the lining of
the bronchi and takes a long time to
develop, so it’s generally a disease in
adults. Symptoms include a persistent
cough that may bring up blood, chest pain,
hoarseness, and shortness of breath.

Question 46

What is asthma?

Answer 46

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that
causes airways to tighten and narrow. This
narrowing of the airways prevents air from flowing
properly, causing difficulty breathing, sometimes to
the point of being life-threatening. Management of
asthma starts with an asthma management plan,
which usually involves avoiding asthma triggers and sometimes taking medications.

Question 47

What is bronchitis?

Answer 47

In bronchitis, which is a common disease of
adults and teens, the membranes lining the
larger bronchial tubes become inflamed and an
excessive amount of mucus is produced. The
person develops a bad cough to get rid of the
mucus. Cigarette smoking is a major cause of
chronic bronchitis in teens.