Respirtory Lectures Flashcards
What does the trachea do?
Keep airways open
Why does the trachea have rings of cartilage
Supports the airway
Keeps it open
Where are the alveolar sacs in the lungs
Not near the trachea and bronchi
Near the periphery
Gas exchange occurs here
Small distances for gases to diffuse. Very important for good lung function.
No mucous glands or goblet cells lining the alveoli- has a different covering of surfactant
What are the alveolar sacs surrounded by
By blood vessels O2 moves in
Describe the muco-ciliary-escalator
- Trachea has C-shaped hyaline cargilage. Present in lrge airway surfaces only. On the anterior surface, they prevent collapse.
- goblet cells among epithelial cells - make mucous
- seromucous glands on the submucosa secrete mucous. Passes from the glands to the surface. Glands and goblet cells secretion serve for REMOVAL OF BACTERIA AND PARTICLES
- pseudostratified cilated columnar epithelium on bronchi and bronchioles. Removal of particles to the pharynx- mucociliary escalator.
Where are alveoli found?
In the periphery. Very edge of lungs in the respiratory zone
This is where gas exchange occurs
Bands of smooth muscle lining the terminal bronchiole. If the smooth muscle contracts. We get bronchiole constriction.
No cartilage and no cilia.
Capillary network. Mesh over each of the alveoli. Each alveolus. Increasessurfacearea of blood supply
Cartilage runs out in smaller airways
Diameter of airway decreases with each branching
Tell us about surface area and the lung :D
Surface area of a person is proportionally related to their height.
SA of a lung of a average 70kg person is estimated to be 75m2 (sa of a tennis court)
What are the two cells of the alveoli. Describe them
Type 1 cell.
Skinny. The alveolar cells where gas exchange occurs. Sits on basement membrane tiny bit of connective tissue
Type 2 cell (looks like a ball)
Produces surfactant- phospholipids. Covers inside of alveolus. Creates moist surface between air and cells. Reduces surface tension
Clearence of deposited particles
Name and describe the two mechanisms and where
Mucocillary escalator- mucus produced by 2 cell types- seromucus glands and goblet cells lining the airways.
Located in the larger airways and nasal cavity.
Foregin particles- stuck on mucous, cilia constantly moves mucous up to pharynx where we would then swallow it.
Larger particles get caught higher up(will get trapped) and smaller particles travel further down. Very small particles can travel to the alveolus.
Second mechanism
Alveolar macrophages. Roam over the alveolar surface. Engulf small particles they migrate to small airways and mucociliary escalator or leave the lung via lymphatics.
What damage do small particles do?
Small particles (less than 0.3um) become embedded in the alveolar membrane.
They can cause
1. inflammation in the alveolar wall
- which can cause fibrosis in the alveolar wall and therefore decrease the compliance of the lung.
- destruction of the alveolar wall and forming large air filled sacs (cigarette smoking) bullae?
Breaks down alveoli and get a big sac. Big sac vs alveoli. Big sac less surface area
- Carcinogenic inhalants cancers. (Cancers change dna in cells)
May start up in the alveoli wall, bronchioles, larger airways or upper tract. All areas of the respiratory tract are exposed to the carcinogens
Damage caused by smoking
- Destroys cilia lining the airways.
Mucous doesnt move properly. Just stays there. Bacteria pools. They just aggregate there. - Damages and destroys the walls between the alveoli causing their collapse. (Lil grapes become a big bag)
- Leads to cancers in cells lining the airways or in parenchyma (airway and bronchiole)
Basically cancer in the alveoli or in different points in the airways
Google the word parenchyma.
Describe gas trapping
Damage to alveolar walls. Instead of small air sacs or grapes you get big bullae sacs. They fill with air that cant get out. Just stuck there (gas trapping)
Bronchioles collapse early during exhalation. Lungs get bigger in volume but take in smaller amounts of air. Surface area gets smaller.
Bullae causes two problems.
- Gas exchange- diffusion distance is too great. Hypoxia.
- Causes gas trapping.
Describe bronchitis
Blockage of airways
Bronchitis narrows the airways and its harder to breathe. Decreased radius increased resistance
- Thickness of wall increased due to inflammation
- Mucus build up due to damage to mucociliary escalator
Characteristics of the nasal cavity and its function
Warms the air and humidifies it when we breathe in
Minute ventilation
Minute ventilation (litres/minute)
Amount of air breathed per minute
Increase tidal volume and increased frequency of breathing increases minute ventilation
Tidal volume amount of air flowing in and out- normal breathing- gets bigger during excercise. During excercise frequency of breathing also increases
FEV1
FEV1: how much air you can breathe out in the first second. Healthy airways should be able to breathe out more than 75% of the air you breathed in in the first second of exhalation.
Describe buckle handle movement
Chest moves out and upwards during inspiration. Volume of thorax increases
In order to inspire…
The respiratory centre in the medulla stimulates the diaphragm and inspiratory muscles. Diaphragm contracts and moves down. Inspiratory muscles - intercostal muscles contract and pull the rib-cage out