The Respiratory System: Short Answer

Front 1

Oxygen and carbon dioxide are transported between the cells of the body and the respiratory system by the _________.

Back 1

circulatory system

Front 2

The smallest branches of the repiratory system tubes terminate in clusters of microscopic air sacs called _____________.

Back 2

alveoli

Front 3

Gas exchange takes place between the blood and the atmosphere in structures called ____________.

Back 3

alveoli

Front 4

Blood enters the lung from the heart through a major artery known as the ____________.

Back 4

pulmonary artery

Front 5

The mouth and nasal cavities meet in a region known as the ____________.

Back 5

pharynx

Front 6

The nasal cavities open to the external environment at the nostrils, also called the _________________.

Back 6

external nares

Front 7

Passageways in the nasal cavity are separated from one another by bony extensions of the nasal septum known as the _____________.

Back 7

nasal conchae

Front 8

Many bones of the skull contain openings from the nasal cavities referred to as ________________.

Back 8

sinuses

Front 9

At the roof of the nasal cavities the sense of smell is associated with an area called the ________________.

Back 9

olfactory region

Front 10

Three functions of the nose include moistening the air, filtering the air, and ___________________.

Back 10

warming the air

Front 11

Allergic reactions occurring within the nasal chambers are given the general name ___________________.

Back 11

allergic rhinitis

Front 12

Another name for the pharynx is the ______________.

Back 12

throat

Front 13

The digestive and respiratory passageways meet one another at a region of the pharynx referred to as the ________________.

Back 13

oropharynx

Front 14

The lateral walls of the nasopharynx contain openings of tubes from the middle ear known as ____________.

Back 14

Eustachian tubes

Front 15

The mass of lymphatic tissue on the medial posterior wall of the nasopharynx is the _________________.

Back 15

pharyngeal tonsils

Front 16

The largest cartilage of the larynx, also known as the Adam's apple, is the ______________.

Back 16

thyroid cartilage

Front 17

The cartilage of the larynx that resembles a signet ring and connects the trachea and larynx is the _____________.

Back 17

cricoid cartilage

Front 18

The opening to the larynx is referred to as the __________.

Back 18

glottis

Front 19

Vibrations of the vocal chords are due to air exhaled from the _________________.

Back 19

lungs

Front 20

Because men have longer vocal chords, their voices have lower ____________.

Back 20

pitch

Front 21

The trachea is supported by a series of C-shaped rings of ________________.

Back 21

cartilage

Front 22

The two primary tubes that branch from the trachea are the _______________.

Back 22

bronchi

Front 23

There is no cartilage in the tubes when the bronchi become ________________.

Back 23

bronchioles

Front 24

Bronchioles are composed entirely of muscle referred to as ________________.

Back 24

smooth muscle

Front 25

The common name for inflammation of the bronchial tree is ______________.

Back 25

bronchitis

Front 26

The lungs occupy most of the space of the _____________.

Back 26

thoracic cavity

Front 27

The number of alveoli in the average adult numbers approximately ____________.

Back 27

300 million

Front 28

The left lung is subdivided into two lobes, while the right lung is subdivided into __________.

Back 28

three lobes

Front 29

The two-layer membrane surrounding each lung is the _______________.

Back 29

pleura

Front 30

The outer layer of pleura lining the inner surface of the thoracic cavity is the __________________.

Back 30

parietal pleura

Front 31

The underlying principle of breathing is that air flows from the region of high pressure to a region of ____________.

Back 31

low pressure

Front 32

Pressure changes occurring in the lungs can be traced to the activity of skeletal muscles known as __________.

Back 32

respiratory muscles

Front 33

During inspiration, the ribs are raised upward and outward by a set of repiratory muscles called _____________.

Back 33

external intercostal muscles

Front 34

During inspiration, contractions cause the downward movement of a dome-shaped muscle known as the _____________.

Back 34

diaphragm

Front 35

The relaxation of repiratory muscles compresses the thorax and increases the air pressure in the ___________.

Back 35

lungs

Front 36

While inspiration is an active process, the process of expiration is a(n) __________.

Back 36

passive process

Front 37

The amount of air that enters and leaves the lungs in a normal breath under resting conditions is the _________.

Back 37

resting tidal volume

Front 38

The volume of air that can be forced out of the lungs after a forced inspiration is the _______________.

Back 38

vital capacity

Front 39

Breathing is controlled by an area of the brain called the repiratory control center, which includes part of the medulla oblongata and the ______________.

Back 39

pons

Front 40

The repiratory centers in the brain are regulated indirectly by the bloodstream's level of __________________.

Back 40

carbon dioxide

Front 41

The rate of breathing is controlled by an area of the brain known as the ______________.

Back 41

pneumotaxic area

Front 42

The respiratory center is activated by the cerebrospinal fluid level of ______________.

Back 42

hydrogen ions

Front 43

While the contraction of skeletal muscles is usually voluntary, the control of breathing is usually _______________.

Back 43

involuntary

Front 44

The great majority of oxygen is carried in the body in association with __________.

Back 44

hemoglobin molecules

Front 45

Approximately 70-75 percent of carbon dioxide is transported in the blood in the form of _________.

Back 45

bicarbonate ions/sodium bicarbonate

Front 46

Aproximately 25-30 percent of the carbon dioxide in the body is carried as ____________.

Back 46

carboxyhemoglobin molecules

Front 47

The driving force behind the exchange of gases in the alveoli is the process of __________________.

Back 47

diffusion

Front 48

While active transport is an active process for the movement of molecules, diffusion is a(n) _________.

Back 48

passive process

Front 49

During lung gas exchange, oxygen molecules move toward the ______________.

Back 49

red blood cells

Front 50

During lung gas exchange, carbon dioxide molecules move toward the ___________.

Back 50

alveolar sac