Structure of the Respiratory System Flashcards
what is the nasal cavity
the nose itself as well as the cavity behind the nose
the first place air comes into contract when inhaled
what is the pharynx
the throat
what is the function epiglottis
to open and close as a flap behind the back of the tongue
opens or closes dependant on what its receiving (e.g. air or food)
what is the larynx
the voicebox, contains vocal chords
what is the trachea
passageway that runs into the centre of the chest, and splits into the two lungs
held together by rings of cartilage for stability
what are the bronchi
the two tubes that the trachea splits into
what are the bronchioles
tubes that branch out the bronchi
what is the function of the diaphragm
large muscle responsible for changing the volume of the thoracic cavity
what is the function of the external intercostal muscles
when contracts it pulls rib cage up and out to enlarge size of thoracic cavity
what does intercostal mean
between the ribs
what is the function of the internal intercostal muscles
when they contract they pull the rib cage down and inwards
how many bronchioles are there on each bronchi
23
what are alveoli
sacs of air at the end of the bronchioles, surrounded by capillaries
what is the function of alveoli
sacs of air surrounded by capillaries so air can integrate into the bloodstream, this is called gaseous exchange
