Unit 7: Respiratory System

Question 1

What organs make up the respiratory system?

Answer 1

nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, lungs and diaphragm

Question 2

What is the respiratory tract? Which organs?

Answer 2

nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, lungs and

pathway of air from nose to lungs

Question 3

what is the nose’s function

Answer 3

it acts as one of the two entry points at which air can enter the body and warms air

Question 4

how is air filtered as it passes through the nose

Answer 4

air is first partly filtered by coarse hairs within the nostrils and then later filtered by the mucus and cilia within the nasal cavities

Question 5

What is the pharynx and what does it do?

Answer 5

regions:

Nasopharynx: Air passageway, connects to nasal cavity and middle ear.
Oropharynx: Passageway for both air and food, contains tonsils.
Laryngopharynx: Directs air to the larynx and food to the esophagus.

Question 6

what are 2 structures in the pharynx worth noting

Answer 6

the uvula and the tonsils

tonsils are lymphatic tissue that help protect against inhaled and ingested bacteria and viruses

Question 7

what is the trachea

Answer 7

the cartilaginous structure that joins the larynx to the bronchial tree

Question 8

what is the cilia in the trachea used for

Answer 8

it is used to sweep debris upwards toward the pharynx where it can then be swallowed to the stomach or spat out for elimination

Question 9

describe the underlying structure of the lungs(more specifically where gas exchange occurs

Answer 9

an inverted tree with numerous branches. starting from the trachea, the channel branches into the left and right bronchi. they then branch off into numerous, smaller bronchioles and those terminate at tiny grape-like assemblages called alveoli

Question 10

What are the lungs composed of and what is its function?

Answer 10

The lungs are composed of lobes and smaller lobules. The right lung has 3 lobes, and the left has 2 to make space for the heart

responsible for gas exchange, enabling the body to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.

Question 11

explain the process of inspiration

Answer 11

the diaphragm contracts which increases the total volume of thoracic cavity. this increase of thoracic volume causes the lungs to expand, which creates a partial vacuum as the air outside the lungs now has a higher pressure than the air inside the lungs. air then flows into the lungs

Question 12

explain the process of expiration

Answer 12

the diaphragm relaxes, which creates a decrease in thoracic volume, causing the lungs to shrink in size. this change in volume causes air pressure to increase inside the body relative to outside the body. air is then expelled outside the body

Question 13

Difference between internal and external respiration?

Answer 13

external: the exchange of gases in the lungs (alveoli)

internal: the exchange of gases in the tissues (between the systemic capillaries and tissue fluid)

Question 14

What happens when air is inhaled into the lungs? be specific with the details. (external respiration)

Answer 14

At the alveoli, O2 diffuses across the pulmonary capillaries due to the low Po2 in the blood, the lower temperature, and the higher pH. Most of the O2 binds to the heme portion of hemoglobin (Hb) (in red blood cells), creating the carrier protein oxyhemoglobin (HbO2). The blood then transports the O2 away from the lungs and back to the heart

Question 15

explain the process of exhaling air. explain how the CO2 is carried in the blood(name the chemicals) (external respiration)

Answer 15

Blood returning from the tissues carries a larger [CO2]. Most of the CO2 is carried as bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) in the blood and exists in equilibrium with carbonic acid (H2CO3).

The lower the Pco2 outside the bloodstream, plus the lower the temperature and higher pH causes the CO2 to move across the pulmonary capillaries and into the lungs where it is exhaled

Question 16

explain the process of internal respiration with oxygen gas. include details

Answer 16

oxygen is first carried in the blood as HbO2 and has a higher PO2 relative to the tissues(the O2 in the tissues is used up in cellular respiration, creating CO2 as a byproduct). HbO2 releases its O2 and CO2 is removed from the tissues

Question 17

explain the process of internal respiration with CO2

Answer 17

the waste product CO2 diffuses from its high PCO2 in the tissues to the low PCO2 in the bloodstream. about 10 percent of CO2 combines with hemoglobin to form carbaminohemoglobin(HbCO2). since now there is a high concentration of CO2 in the blood, carbonic anhydrase moves the remaining CO2 to combine with H2O to form carbonic acid(H2CO3)