The Respiratory System Flashcards
Functions of the respiratory system
- Extensive SA for gas exchange
- Moving air
- Protecting surfaces
- Producing sounds
- Detecting odours
Upper respiratory system
Nose, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx
Lower respiratory system
Larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli
Respiratory tract
The passageways that carry air to and from the lung exchange surfaces
Conducting portion
Begins at the entrance to the nasal cavity and extends through the pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and larger bronchioles
Respiratory portion
Smallest, thinnest bronchioles and alveoli
Respiratory mucosa
Lines the conducting portion of the respiratory system
Mucosa
Mucous membrane
Function of respiratory mucosa
To provide a series of filtration mechanisms that make up the respiratory defence system
What does the respiratory defence system protect surfaces from?
Debris or pathogens inhaled in air that could damage the surfaces
Structure of respiratory mucosa
Epithelium and underlying areolar layer lamina propria
Which upper respiratory components contain mucous glands in the lamina propria?
Trachea and bronchi
Respiratory mucosa of the trachea
Mucosa
Submucosa
Hyaline cartilage
Adventitial layer
What is in the lamina propria of the conducting portions of the lower respiratory system?
Bundles of smooth muscle cells
What do the smooth muscles do in the bronchioles?
Form thick bands that encircle the lumen
Cells lining nasal cavity and superior portion of pharynx
Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium
Cells lining inferior portion of the pharynx and oral cavity
Stratified squamous epithelium
Why are the cells lining inferior portion of the pharynx stratified squamous epithelium?
This portion conducts air to the larynx and carries food to oesophagus so it needs protection from abrasion and chemicals
Superior portion of the lower respiratory system and nasal cavity
Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium
Smaller bronchioles
Cuboidal epithelium with scattered cilia
Exchange surface of the alveoli
Simple squamous epithelium
Alveolar epithelium
The alveolar simple squamous epithelium and specialised cells scattered among the squamous cells
What do mucous glands produce?
Sticky mucus that bathes exposed surfaced
Mucociliary escalator
In the nasal cavity, cilia sweep mucus toward the pharynx where it is swallowed and exposed to stomach acids and enzymes
In the lower respiratory system, the cilia beat toward the pharynx, moving a carpet of mucus in that direction and cleaning the respiratory surfaces
Tuberculosis (TB)
Results from an infection of the lungs by a bacteria which may colonise respiratory passageways, interstitial spaces, the alveoli or a combination
Cystic fibrosis (CF)
Respiratory mucosa produces dense, viscous mucus that can’t be transported by the respiratory defence system
Mucociliary escalator stops working - frequent infections
Mucus blocks smaller respiratory passageways so breathing is difficult
Nasal vestibule
The space contained within the flexible tissues of the nose
Nasal septum
Formed by the fusion of the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid and vomer
Anterior portion is formed of hyaline cartilage
Dorsum of nose
Bridge
Apex of nose
Tip
Lateral and superior walls of the nasal cavity
Maxillae, nasal bone, frontal bone, ethmoid and sphenoid
Paranasal sinuses
Sinuses of the frontal bone, sphenoid, ethmoid, and paired maxillae and palatine bones
Olfactory region
Superior portion of the nasal cavity
- Interior surface of the cribiform plate
- Superior portion of nasal septum
- Superior nasal conchae
What gives us our sense of smell?
Receptors in olfactory epithelium
Choanae
Openings of the nasal cavity
Superior, middle and inferior nasal conchae
Air flows between adjacent conchae to pass from vestibule to the choanae
Superior, middle and inferior nasal meatuses
Narrow grooves between chonchae
Purposes of nasal turbulence
- Small airborne particles are likely to come into contact with mucus
- Extra time for warming and humidifying air
- Creates circular air currents that bring olfactory stimuli to olfactory receptors
Hard palate (bony)
Made up of portions of the paired maxillae and palatine bones
What separates nasal cavity from oral cavity?
Hard palate
Soft palate (fleshy)
Marks the boundary between superior nasopharynx and the rest of the pharynx
Where does the nasal cavity open into the nasopharynx?
At the choanae
Functions of the nasal mucosa
- Traps particles
- Warms and humidifies incoming air
- Dehumidifies and absorbs heat of outgoing air
Why do patients breathing on a respirator need to receive air that has been externally filtered and humidified?
Since they are not breathing through their nasal cavity and thus they do not receive warmed and humidified air (dangerous)
Epistaxis
Nose bleed
Where does the pharynx extend?
Between the choanae and entrances to the larynx and oesophagus
Wall of the pharynx
Superior and posterior: closely bound to axial skeleton
Lateral walls: flexible and muscular
3 parts of the pharynx
- Nasopharynx
- Oropharynx
- Laryngopharynx
Nasopharynx
- Superior portion
- Ciliated columnar epithelium
- Pharyngeal tonsil on posterior wall
- Pharyngeal opening of auditory tube on each side of pharyngeal tonsil
Oropharynx
- Between soft palate and base of the tongue
- Continuous with the oral cavity
- Stratified squamous epithelium
Laryngopharynx
- Inferior portion
- Between the hyoid bone and entrance to the larynx and oesophagus
- Stratified squamous epithelium
Glottis
Slit like opening between the vocal cords
Larynx
- Cartilaginous tube that surrounds and protects the glottis
- C4 or 5 to C6
3 unpaired cartilages of larynx
- Thyroid cartilage
- Cricoid cartilage
- Epiglottis
Thyroid cartilage
- Hyaline cartilage
- Largest
- U shaped
- Adam’s apple
Cricoid cartilage
- Hyaline cartilage
- Most inferior
- Expanded to provide support where there’s no thyroid cartilage
Functions of thyroid and cricoid cartilages
- Protect the glottis and entrance to trachea
- Broad surfaces provide sites for attachment for ligament and muscles
Epiglottis
- Elastic cartilage
- Forms a lid over glottis
- Prevents liquids and solids from entering respiratory tract
3 pairs of smaller hyaline cartilages of larynx
- Arytenoid
- Corniculate
- Cuneiform
What binds the laryngeal cartilages?
Ligaments
What surrounds the glottis?
Vestibular folds
What makes up the glottis?
Vocal folds = vocal cords
Space between vocal folds
Rima glottidis
Function of vestibular folds
Help prevent foreign objects from entering the open glottis and protect more inferior, delicate vocal folds of glottis
Muscles of the larynx
- Muscles of the neck and pharynx - stabilise larynx
2. Smaller intrinsic muscles - control tension in glottal vocal folds
Bolus
Pasty mass of food before swallowed
Phonation
Sound production at the larynx
Articulation
Modification of those sounds by voluntary movements of structures like tongue teeth and lips to form words
How do we produce sounds?
Air passing through our open glottis vibrates its vocal folds and produces sound waves
What controls the pitch of the sound?
Diameter, length and tension in the vocal cords
Tension is controlled by voluntary muscles
Laryngitis
Infection or inflammation of larynx
Epiglottitis
Swelling caused by bacterial or viral infections
Dangerous - could cause suffocation
Where does the trachea extend?
Begins anterior to vetebra c6
Ends mediastinum, vetebra t5
What is the epithelium of the trachea continuous with?
The epithelium of the larynx
Submucosa
A thick layer of connective tissue surrounds the mucosa
Tracheal glands
- Contained within submucosa
- Secretes mucous that reach tracheal lumen through short ducts
Functions of tracheal cartilages
- Stiffen tracheal walls
- Protect the airway
- Prevent it from collapsing or over-expanding
Tracheal cartilages
- C shaped
- Discontinuous with tracheal wall so can easily distort when swallowing, allowing large masses to pass through