Upper Airways Flashcards
What are the names of the bony structures that comprise the nasal wall?
Ethmoid and inferior concha
What is the purpose of creating a turbulent flow of air in the nasal cavity?
To warm and humidify the air as much as possible in the nasal cavity
What features of the mucosal lining enable it to warm and humidify the inhaled air?
It is highly vascularised (warming) and secrets mucus (humidifying)
How are smells perceived communicated to the olfactory bulb?
The olfactory bulb has small nerves projecting through the ethmoid bone into the nasal cavity that can detect the presence of odorous molecules in the air. They send messages to the olfactory bulb based on what they perceive.
What structure forms the boundary between the naso- and oro-pharynx?
The soft palate
What structures form the boundary between the oro- and laryngo-pharynx?
The upper margin of the epiglottis
What is the anterior boundary of the nasopharynx?
The posterior nares of the nasal cavity
What tube opens on the lateral wall of the nasopharynx?
Eustachian tube
Why are people encouraged to yawn to ‘pop’ their ears?
Yawning opens up the pharyngeal opening of the eustachian tube allowing pressure to equalise in the middle ear.
Locate the palatine tonsils on the lateral wall of the oropharynx. What is the function of the palatine tonsils?
Protect the airway from inhaled bacterial and viruses.
What is it continuous with the laryngopharynx inferiorly?
Oesophagus
Generally, what is the function of the longitudinal muscles?
Elevates the pharynx
Generally, what is the function of the constrictor muscles?
Constrict (reduce the luminal size) of the pharynx
Which nerves provide motor innervation to the pharynx?
Pharyngeal branches of vagus nerve (carrying cranial root of accessory nerve) and glossopharyngeal nerve
What tissue are the vocal cords, and all other structures within the larynx covered in?
Mucosa
