Upper Respiratory Tract (URT) and Lower Respiratory Tract (LRT) Flashcards
What does the upper respiratory tract consist of?
Nasal cavity
Pharynx
Larynx
What are the roles of the larynx? (2)
Voice box = A set of cartilages, membranes and ligaments which produce sound from expired air.
Protection = protects the inlet to the respiratory system
At what vertebral level does the larynx become the trachea?
C6
What does the lower respiratory tract consist of?
Trachea
Main/principle/primary bronchus
Bronchioles
Alveoli
Where does the LRT receive motor innervation from?
- Sympathetic fibres originating in the upper thoracic spinal levels via pulmonary plexuses.
- Parasympathetic fibres from the vagus nerve.
Where is the pulmonary plexus located?
The termination of the main bronchi
How does sensory supply reach the spinal cord?
Via sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves
What is the arterial supply of the LRT?
Via bronchial arteries arising from the thoracic aorta and intercostal arteries.
Explain the venous drainage of the LRT?
Bronchial veins drain to the azygous venous system
What is the vertebral level of the trachea?
C6 - T4
Where is the bifurcation of the trachea?
T4
What is the V-shaped cartilage at the bifurcation of the trachea called?
Carina
Approximately how many cartilage rings are then in the trachea?
16 - 20
What muscles completes the tracheal ring posteriorly?
Trachealis muscle
What organ lies immediately posterior to the trachea?
Oesophagus
What lies immediately lateral to the trachea at the neck?
The common carotid arteries
What nerve lies immediately lateral to the trachea on both sides?
Vagus nerve
What do you call the grooves lying between the trachea and the oesophagus left and right?
Tracheo-oesophageal grooves
What is lodged in the tracheao-oesophageal grooves?
Recurrent laryngeal nerves
What do the recurrent laryngeal nerves supply?
Motor and sensory innervation to the larynx
How is the right bronchus different to the left?
Shorter
Wider
More vertical
In which bronchus are you more likely to find aspirated objects and why?
Right
- It’s more vertical
How does the right primary bronchus divide?
Gives of superior branch before entering the lung.
Posterior branch enters lung before diving into secondary bronchi.
What is the name of the superior branch of the right bronchus?
Superior lobar bronchus OR Eparterial
What is the inferior right bronchus called?
Hyparterial bronchus
What is the role of bronchioles?
Control of airflow
How do bronchioles control airflow?
Increased smooth muscle and elastic fibre content (and have lost their cartilage).
