The respiratory system Flashcards
Week 2
What is a normal breathing rate for an adult?
12 - 20 breaths per minute
What part of the upper airway is a passage for air, food and water?
Pharynx
What is the opening to the pharynx from the mouth called?
The fauces
Which structure prevents food or water from entering the trachea?
Epiglottis
What is the primary site for gas exchange?
The alvioli
What is the name of the point / ridge where the trachea divides into right and left primary bronchi?
Carina
Which cells produce pulmonary surfactant?
Type II alveolar cells
What is pulmonary surfactant?
It is a complex mixture of phospholipids and proteins that reduces the surface tension at the air interface in the alveoli
Healthy lungs have high compliance, what does this refer to?
The lungs and chest wall expand easily with little effort, the tissue is elastic and the chest wall flexible
What are the conducting airways with the air that does not undergo respiratory exchange known as?
Respiratory dead space
Which factors affect the rate of pulmonary and systemic gas exchange?
- Partial pressure difference of gases
- Surface area for gas exchange
- Diffusion distance
- Molecular weight and solubility of the gases
- Ventilation-perfusion (blood flow) matching
What happens to the amount of oxyhaemoglobin when blood pH drops?
Decreases
What happens to the amount of oxygen delivered to tissue cells when blood pH drops?
Increases
Which factors affect haemoglobins affinity for oxygen?
- pH of blood
- Partial pressure of oxygen
- Amount of oxygen available
- Temperature
- Concentration of carbon dioxide
Where is the soft palate located in the mouth?
At the back of the roof of the mouth, behind the hard palate
Where is the epiglottis located?
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)
Where is the cricoid cartilage located?
The cricoid cartilage is located in the neck, just below the thyroid cartilage (the Adam’s apple) and above the trachea
What tissue is the epiglottis made from?
The epiglottis is primarily made of elastic cartilage
Where is the hyoid bone located?
The hyoid bone is located in the neck, between the lower jaw (mandible) and the larynx (voice box)
Where is the rhythmicity centre for respiration?
In the medulla oblongata
With which body system does the respiratory system work to regulate the pH of body fluids?
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)
