Structure of the Airway Flashcards
What is respiration?
Providing oxygen to the body and removing carbon dioxide through inhalation and exhalation
How does your body inhale air?
The contraction and lowering of the diaphragm and raising the ribs
This creates an intra-thoracic pressure
How does your body exhale?
Decreasing the size of the thorax
What must happens to the air before it reaches the lungs?
It must be warmed, filtered and humidified
How is the air warmed, filtered etc?
By passing through vascular mucosa, cilia and mucus
Where are the nasal cavities found?
Above the oral cavity between the two orbits, posterior to the nose and anterior to the nasopharynx
Describe the respiratory epithelium?
At the beginning it pseudostratified, ciliated, columnar, interspersed with goblet cells
What is the nasal spetum?
A midline structure which separates the left and right nasal cavities
What is the septum made from?
Anteriorly- septal cartilage
Posteriorly- Bone
What are the boundaries of the nasal cavities?
Medial- nasal septum
Lateral- Nasal conchae
Floor- Hard and soft palate
Roof- Bone
Where is the sense of smell developed in the nose?
At the caudal end near the frontal bone
Lined by olfactory epithelium
Where is incoming air filtered, humidified and warmed in the nasal cavity?
Conchae
Where are the nasal conchae?
Lateral wall
How many nasal conchae are there?
Superior
Middle
Inferior
What does the structure of nasal conchae allow?
Larger surface area for heat exchange and turbulence
What are meati?
Space behind the nasal conchae
What are important for meati?
They are our entrance point for our sinuses
What is the clearance of the maxillary sinus dependent on?
Ciliary action
What happens if their is an infection in the sinuses?
Sinusitis
What is the function of sinuses?
Voids that can warm air etc
Reduce weight of the head
What is the nasolacrimal duct?
Drains excess material from your eyes
What are the four sinuses?
Frontal
Ethmoidal
Maxillary
Sphenoidal
Where is the olfactory bulb?
Cranial cavity
What is the pharynx?
A tube of fibrous and muscular tissue which can be divided into 3 parts
What are the three parts of the pharynx?
Nasopharynx
Oropharynx
Laryngopharynx
What is the function of the nasopharynx?
Transports air
Divided from oropharynx by soft palate
What is the function of oropharynx?
Transports air plus food and fluid
Where does food travel?
From the oropharynx then to the laryngopharynx
Where does air travel?
Either form nasopharynx or oropharynx to the larynx
What stops the food or fluid entering the respiratory tract?
Epiglottis
What is the cricothyroid membrane the site of?
Emergency access to the airway
What do the aryepiglottic folds form?
Laryngeal inlet
What closes the laryngeal inlet?
Elevation of the larynx which is lifted during swallowing
What controls the laryngeal diameter?
The vocal folds
What process are controlled by the vocal folds?
Speech
Coughing
Sneezing
Raising intra-abdominal pressure
Micturition
Defecation
Lifting heavy objects
What is the space between the vocal chords called?
Rima glottidis
What are the main functions of the muscles in the larynx?
Close/open the inlet
Close/open the rima glottides
Shortening/lengthen the vocal folds
What is the only muscle that opens the rima glottides?
Posterior crico-arytenoid
What is the function of the arytenoid cartilage?
Allow air to pass through vocal cords
Keep airway open through the larynx
Allows adjusting of tension for sound pitch
Aid in movement of the vocal cords
Allow tension or relaxation of the vocal folds
What are the different cartilages of the larynx?
Epiglottic
Thyroid
Arytenoid
Cricoid
What are the three nerves in the larynx?
Superior laryngeal nerve
Left recurrent laryngeal nerve
Right recurrent laryngeal nerve
What does the superior laryngeal nerve innervate?
The area above the vocal cords
What do the recurrent laryngeal nerves innervate?
The are below the vocal cords
What is the position of the trachea?
In front of oesophagus
Medial to carotid arteries and internal jugular veins
Inferior to larynx
Thyroid gland surrounds the upper portion
What does the trachea split into?
Right and left main bronchi
