The Structure Of The Repsiratory Tract Flashcards
What makes up the upper respiratory tract?
The nose - nasal cavity
The paranasal sinuses - frontal, maxillary, ethmoid and sphenoid
Pharynx - nasopharynx oropharynx and hypopharynx
Larynx
What is the function of the nose?
It is the most superior portion of the respiratory tract.
Multiple functions: Increase the temperature Humidify Filter The inspired air.
The stiff hairs helps filter and trap air helping to humidify it.
What the the anterior nares?
It is the external portion of the nose that opens into the vestibule (the area that leads to the nasal cavity).
What is the job of the turbinates?
It is bone and tissue in the nose that help to increase the surface area of the surface of the nose and helps helps to humidify and warm the air.
What is a meatus?
They are passage through the skulls nasal cavities.
What is the frontal sinus?
Where is it located?
Within the frontal bone
Midline
Over orbit and across superciliary arch. (Eye and eyebrow ridge).
Nerve supply = V nerve
What is the function the sinuses and do they come in pairs?
Function is to lighten the skull, improve vocalisation and produce mucus that protects from particles and microorganism and also moisture see inside of nose.
Yes all sinuses come in pairs.
What is the maxillary sinus and where is it located?
Located in the maxilla
Pyramidal shape - It’s base is at the lateral wall of the nose and its apex is at the zygomatic process.
Roof = floor of orbit.
It opens into the middle meatus via the hiatus semilunaris
What is the ethmoid sinus?
It is a labyrinth (aero chocolate) of cells found between the eyes - ice cream pain area.
It is supplied by the V nerve (ophthalmic and maxillary)
What is the Sphenoid sinus?
Where is it located?
Medial to the cavernous sinus.
Inferior to the optic canal
Never supply ophthalmic V
What is the semilunar hiatus of the middle meatus?
…
Sinusitis?
Sinuses become swollen usually due to an infection.
What is the pharynx and what is it made up of?
Job?
Hollow fibromuscular tube that starts behind the nose it extends to the neck and ends at the top of the trachea.
It is lined with squamous columnar ciliates epithelium, with mucus glands.
It is posterior to the nasal cavity, mouth and larynx.
It consists of:
Nasopharynx
Oropharynx
Hypopharynx
Acts as a conducting zone for air — lungs, hence it warms and humidifies this air.
Also assists with swelling and is a pathway for food into the oesophagus.
What is the nasopharynx?
Part of the pharynx, located behind the nasal cavity.
Bounded by base of skull
Consist of a cartilage spine
Inferiorly opens to the oropharynx at the soft plate.
It has Eustachian tube orifices, which supply air to the middle ear
Pharyngeal tonsils on its posterior wall.
What is the oropharynx?
The posterior wall of the oropharynx is found directly behind the uvula and inferior to the hyoid bone.
It has palatine tonsils on the lateral wall.
Contains Palatoglossal folds and palatophayngeal folds ?
Larynx function and structure?
The larynx is involved in vocalisation due to muscles and the vocal chords with it.
It is also part of the conducting system and work with the epiglottis via providing a valvular function to keep food from entering the trachea.
It has a rigid structure
With 9 cartilages
Multiples muscles
What are the 9 cartilages of the larynx?
Single cartilages:
Epiglottis
Thyroid
Cricoid
Double:
Cuneiform
Corniculate
Aryenoid - rotate on the cricoid to change vocal chords.
What is a cricothyrotomy?
When an emergency breathing puncture is made between the thyroid cartilage and the cricoid cartilage.
How is the laryngeal innervated?
Via the Vagus (X)
It splits into 2 nerves - superior laryngeal nerve and the recurrent laryngeal nerve.
Superior divides into internal - sensation
External - cricothyroid muscle
Recurrent divides into a left and a right.
Supplies all muscles except cricothryoid.
If a patient who regularly smokes comes into clinic with a change in their voice (hoarse), what could be a likely diagnosis?
Cancer which has start to push on the laryngeal nerve.
What makes up the lower respiratory tract?
Trachea, main bronchi, lobar bronchi, segmental bronchi, respiratory bronchi, terminal bronchi, alveolar ducts, alveoli
What is the main function of the lower respiratory tract?
Conduct the air into the bronchioles and alveoli where gas exchange can occur.
Per minute there is 5l of ventilation
During inspiration what are the 2 movements of the thoracic cage?
A bucket handle and a water pump.
Outward and upward
How are the intercostal spaces and ribs labelled?
The ribs are labelled 1st and then the space underneath are labelled the 1st 2nd etc intercostal space.
Where is an emergency chest drain inserted?
Midclavicular line, 2nd rib
What rib is the sternal angle on?
It is on the 2nd intercostal cartilage/ rib
What is the trachea?
It Is a hollow tubed form of semicircular cartilage with smooth muscle posteriorly.
It is lined by pseudo stratified, ciliated, columnar epithelium and goblet cells.
Conducts air from the larynx to the carina
What is the carina?
Ridge/ sharp division at the base of the trachea that separates the openings of the right and left bronchi.
How do the left and right bronchi differ?
The right main bronchus is more vertically exposed and is 1-2.5 cm long.
Whereas the left main bronchus is 5 cm long and more angled.
What is a bronchoscope?
Endoscopic technique used to visualise inside of airways.
A thin tube with a camera is passed down your throat into the bronchus.
What are the lobar bronchi?
They are sub divisions of the main bronchi.
They are conducting cartilaginous airways that supply specific lobes.
The right is formed of the upper lobe, middle lobe and lower lobe
The left is formed of the upper lobe and lingular as well as the lower lobe bronchi.
What is a pulmonary ancinus?
Portion of lung distal to the terminal bronchiole
Alveoli become more perfused with increasing subdivisions.
Ducts are short tubes with multiple alveoli.
What are the connections between alveoli called?
Pores of Kohn
Allow air to move, but also pathogens
Alveoli structure:
See histology notes
What is the pleura and what are the layers and function?
Of what origin are they?
Visceral - applied to the lung surface
Parietal - applied to the internal chest wall.
Each are a single cell layer.
There is a small amount of fluid in between - 10ml.
Parietal pleura has pain sensation visceral is only autonomic innervation.
Origin = mesodermal
What is the bronchovascular bundle?
A bundle made up of mothers main bronchi and the pulmonary vessels.
What blood supply goes to the lungs?
The bronchial and pulmonary circulations.
Bronchial arteries and veins.
Alveoli drain into the pulmonary veins.
