Respiratory System Pt. 1

Question 1

What is the respiratory’s main purpose?

Answer 1

• Bringing in oxygen into the tissues and removing the byproducts (CO2)

Question 2

What is the upper respiratory composed of?

Answer 2

Nasal cavity, pharynx, & upper larynx

Question 3

What is the lower respiratory system composed of?

Answer 3

Lower larynx, trachea, & lungs

Question 4

What is the nasal cavity divided into?

Answer 4

Two halfs by nasal septum; posterior region if you were to look into the nasal cavity from an anterior view you would find bone

Bone include: Vomer, ethmoid, maxilla, & nasal bones

Question 5

What are the nasal conchae?

Answer 5

Thin bony elements that form the upper chambers of the nasal cavity

• Superior and Middle are made of ethmoid bone
• Inferior is made of its own bone

External part (nasal cavity outer part) is made of cartilage

Question 6

Between each conchae you have a groove of space in between. What is the reason for this?

Answer 6

The grooves of spaces beneath each conchae are collectively referred to as Nasal Meatuses

• Nasal meatuses exist to increase the surface area in nasal cavity

Question 7

Why is the respiratory system covered with mucus membrane?

Answer 7

Serves as protection to trap foreign particles from entering the lungs or it sends them down the esophagus

• Mucus membrane in nasal conchae humidify air b/c cold air can aggravate cells on wall of pharynx

Question 8

What receptors are found in the nasal meatuses?

Answer 8

Olfactory receptors which bind smell particles; connected to cranial 1 which sends a signal to the brain to recognize what it is

Question 9

Why is it good to let air that is coming into the nasal cavity swirl around for a while?

Answer 9

Too humidify the air because cold air would aggravate the pharynx

Question 10

Where does the humidied air that comes into the nasal cavity precede to?

Answer 10

Goes posteriorly into the pharynx

Question 11

What are the parts of the pharynx?

Answer 11

• Nasopharynx: Posterior to nasal cavity
• Oropharynx: Posterior to oral cavity
• Laryngopharynx: Posterior to larynx

Question 12

The oral cavity is found inferior to the nasal cavity and is divided by something. What is it divided by?

Answer 12

Divided by a palate; hard palate and soft palate

• Hard palate is the more anterior one and it made of two bones: Maxilla & Palatine bone
• Soft palate is more posterior; made of smooth muscle

Question 13

Why is the laryngopharynx “the division?”

Answer 13

B/c heading anteriorly from there would be the going to the larynx & eventually the lungs

Heading posteriorly means going to the esophagus ==> Digestive system

Question 14

What is the pharynx made of and why is it called a shared space?

Answer 14

It is made of smooth muscle; shared tube/space of respiratory and digestive

Laryngopharynx decides whatever came in goes to lungs or digestive system

Question 15

What is the auditory measle and its job?

Answer 15

Connects the nasopharynx to the middle ear; found slightly inferior and anterior to the pharyngeal tonsil

• Purpose: Equalize air pressure across the ear drum by opening

Going through a place with a lot of pressure so this helps to minimize it; tube opens up but can speed up process of equalizing pressure by moving strcutures around it. i.e. Oral cavity

Question 16

What are the different tonsils in the nasal cavity and what are they typically used for?

Answer 16

1. Palatine tonsil
2. Pharyngeal tonsil
3. Lingual Tonsils

• Apart of lymphatic system; protects body from infection

Tonsils check food and air to make sure there are no foreign particles coming in

Question 17

Where is the pharyngeal tonsil located?

Answer 17

In the nasal cavity superior and posterior to the auditory tube

Question 18

Where is the palatine tonsil located and why that location?

Answer 18

Located in the oral cavity at the posterior region inferior to the soft palate; a place where food comes so bacteria can come in to be checked

Some people get inflammed tonsils due to infection which they end up getting removed

Question 19

Where is the linguinal tonsil located?

Answer 19

In the oral but more or so anterior to the oropharynx region & posterior to the tongue

Question 20

The uvula is…?

Answer 20

It is the back of the soft palate & swelling during infection looks like the uvula is swollen but it is actually the palatine tonsils

It is also the division between the upper nasopharynx & the lower one & oropharynx

Question 21

How does food not manage to travel up into the nasopharynx?

Answer 21

Soft palate of the palate will lift up when swallowing food preventing it from moving up

Question 22

Where is the epiglottis and what is its purpose?

Answer 22

The epiglottis is a piece of cartilage found in the larynx posterior to the lingual tonsil & its job is to cover the opening to the larynx

Divides the oropharynx from the laryngopharynx

Question 23

What are paranasal sinuses & where are they located?

Answer 23

Openings in skull which are located at the bones in which they are named after

• Frontal, Ethmoidal, Sphenoidal & Maxillary

Question 24

What are the roles of the paranasal sinuses?

Answer 24

1. Covered in mucus membrane which helps humidifying air along with nasal cavity
2. Holes in bones decreases weight of skull
3. Helps maintain intercranial pressure along w/nasal cavity

They all connect to the nasal cavity via tubes

Question 25

When do you notice your paranasal sinuses doing its job?

Answer 25

During infection where it produces more mucus to clog the paranasal sinuses to trap foreign invaders