The respiratory system

Question 1

What is a normal breathing rate for an adult?

Answer 1

12 - 20 breaths per minute

Question 2

What part of the upper airway is a passage for air, food and water?

Answer 2

Pharynx

Question 3

What is the opening to the pharynx from the mouth called?

Answer 3

The fauces

Question 4

Which structure prevents food or water from entering the trachea?

Answer 4

Epiglottis

Question 5

What is the primary site for gas exchange?

Answer 5

The alvioli

Question 6

What is the name of the point / ridge where the trachea divides into right and left primary bronchi?

Answer 6

Carina

Question 7

Which cells produce pulmonary surfactant?

Answer 7

Type II alveolar cells

Question 8

What is pulmonary surfactant?

Answer 8

It is a complex mixture of phospholipids and proteins that reduces the surface tension at the air interface in the alveoli

Question 9

Healthy lungs have high compliance, what does this refer to?

Answer 9

The lungs and chest wall expand easily with little effort, the tissue is elastic and the chest wall flexible

Question 10

What are the conducting airways with the air that does not undergo respiratory exchange known as?

Answer 10

Respiratory dead space

Question 11

Which factors affect the rate of pulmonary and systemic gas exchange?

Answer 11

• Partial pressure difference of gases
• Surface area for gas exchange
• Diffusion distance
• Molecular weight and solubility of the gases
• Ventilation-perfusion (blood flow) matching

Question 12

What happens to the amount of oxyhaemoglobin when blood pH drops?

Answer 12

Decreases

Question 13

What happens to the amount of oxygen delivered to tissue cells when blood pH drops?

Answer 13

Increases

Question 14

Which factors affect haemoglobins affinity for oxygen?

Answer 14

• pH of blood
• Partial pressure of oxygen
• Amount of oxygen available
• Temperature
• Concentration of carbon dioxide

Question 15

Where is the soft palate located in the mouth?

Answer 15

At the back of the roof of the mouth, behind the hard palate

Question 16

Where is the epiglottis located?

Answer 16

It is located in the throat at the entrance of the larynx (voice box), behind the tongue and above the glottis (the opening of the larynx)

Question 17

Where is the cricoid cartilage located?

Answer 17

The cricoid cartilage is located in the neck, just below the thyroid cartilage (the Adam’s apple) and above the trachea

Question 18

What tissue is the epiglottis made from?

Answer 18

The epiglottis is primarily made of elastic cartilage

Question 19

Where is the hyoid bone located?

Answer 19

The hyoid bone is located in the neck, between the lower jaw (mandible) and the larynx (voice box)

Question 20

Where is the rhythmicity centre for respiration?

Answer 20

In the medulla oblongata

Question 21

With which body system does the respiratory system work to regulate the pH of body fluids?

Answer 21

The renal / urinary system - the respiratory system regulates pH rapidly for short term adjustments (seconds to minutes) where as the urinary system is responsible for regulating pH over a longer time scale (hours to days)