Respiratory System Pt. 1 Flashcards
What is the respiratory’s main purpose?
- Bringing in oxygen into the tissues and removing the byproducts (CO2)
What is the upper respiratory composed of?
Nasal cavity, pharynx, & upper larynx
What is the lower respiratory system composed of?
Lower larynx, trachea, & lungs
What is the nasal cavity divided into?
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
What are the nasal conchae?
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
Between each conchae you have a groove of space in between. What is the reason for this?
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
Why is the respiratory system covered with mucus membrane?
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
What receptors are found in the nasal meatuses?
Olfactory receptors which bind smell particles; connected to cranial 1 which sends a signal to the brain to recognize what it is
Why is it good to let air that is coming into the nasal cavity swirl around for a while?
Too humidify the air because cold air would aggravate the pharynx
Where does the humidied air that comes into the nasal cavity precede to?
Goes posteriorly into the pharynx
What are the parts of the pharynx?
- Nasopharynx: Posterior to nasal cavity
- Oropharynx: Posterior to oral cavity
- Laryngopharynx: Posterior to larynx
The oral cavity is found inferior to the nasal cavity and is divided by something. What is it divided by?
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
Why is the laryngopharynx “the division?”
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
What is the pharynx made of and why is it called a shared space?
It is made of smooth muscle; shared tube/space of respiratory and digestive
Laryngopharynx decides whatever came in goes to lungs or digestive system
What is the auditory measle and its job?
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
What are the different tonsils in the nasal cavity and what are they typically used for?
- Palatine tonsil
- Pharyngeal tonsil
- 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
Where is the pharyngeal tonsil located?
In the nasal cavity superior and posterior to the auditory tube
Where is the palatine tonsil located and why that location?
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
Where is the linguinal tonsil located?
In the oral but more or so anterior to the oropharynx region & posterior to the tongue
The uvula is…?
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
How does food not manage to travel up into the nasopharynx?
Soft palate of the palate will lift up when swallowing food preventing it from moving up
Where is the epiglottis and what is its purpose?
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
What are paranasal sinuses & where are they located?
Openings in skull which are located at the bones in which they are named after
- Frontal, Ethmoidal, Sphenoidal & Maxillary
What are the roles of the paranasal sinuses?
- Covered in mucus membrane which helps humidifying air along with nasal cavity
- Holes in bones decreases weight of skull
- Helps maintain intercranial pressure along w/nasal cavity
They all connect to the nasal cavity via tubes
When do you notice your paranasal sinuses doing its job?
During infection where it produces more mucus to clog the paranasal sinuses to trap foreign invaders
