Respiratory System

Front 1

respiratory system's primary role

Back 1

to bring oxygen from the atmosphere into the bloodstream and to remove the gaseous waste by-product, carbon dioxide.

Front 2

respiratory system consists of the following major components:

Back 2

• Two lungs, the vital organs of the respiratory system
• Upper and lower airways that conduct gas in and out of the system
• Terminal air sacs called alveoli surrounded by a network of capillaries that provide for gas exchange
• A thoracic cage that houses, protects, and facilitates function for the system
• Muscles of breathing that include the main muscle, the diaphragm, and accessory muscles

Front 3

the bulk movement of the air in and out of the lungs.

Back 3

ventilation

Front 4

the gas exchange process, in which oxygen is added to the blood and carbon dioxide is removed.

Back 4

respiration

Front 5

Since the gas exchange in the lungs occurs between the blood and the air in the external atmosphere, it is more precisely called...

Back 5

external respiration

Front 6

The oxygenated blood is transported internally via the cardiovascular system to the cells and tissues, where gas exchange is now termed...

Back 6

internal respiration

Front 7

the respiratory system is a series of branching tubes called ___ and ___

Back 7

bronchi and bronchioles

Front 8

bronchi and bronchioles transport the atmospheric gas deep within our lungs to the small air sacs called...

Back 8

alveoli

Front 9

___ represent the terminal end of the respiratory system.

Back 9

alveoli

Front 10

Each alveolus is surrounded by a network of small blood vessels called

Back 10

capillaries

Front 11

combination of the alveolus and the capillary is called the...

Back 11

alveolar-capillary membrane (respiratory membrane)

Front 12

The upper airways begin at the two openings of the nose, called ___ or ___, and end at the vocal cords

Back 12

nostrils or nares

Front 13

The functions of the upper airway include:

Back 13

• Heating or cooling inspired (inhaled) gases to body temperature (37 degrees Celsius)
• Filtering particles from the inspired gases
• Humidifying inspired gases to a relative humidity of 100%
• Providing for the sense of smell, or olfaction
• Producing sounds, or phonation
• Ventilating, or conducting, the gas down to the lower airways

Front 14

the space behind the nose

Back 14

nasal cavity

Front 15

nasal cavity consists of three main regions:

Back 15

vestibular, olfactory, and respiratory

Front 16

The two nasal cavities are separated by a wall called the...

Back 16

septal cartilage, or nasal septum

Front 17

located inside the nostrils and contains the coarse nasal hairs that act as the first line of defense for the respiratory system

Back 17

vestibular region

Front 18

the coarse nasal hairs are called...

Back 18

vibrissae

Front 19

strategically placed on the roof of the nasal cavity

Back 19

olfactory region

Front 20

respiratory region possesses three scroll-like bones known as...

Back 20

turbinates, or conchae

Front 21

occurs when I trigger the nasal mucosa to secrete excessive mucus, causing the infa¬ mous runny nose

Back 21

Allergic rhinitis

Front 22

non-cancerous growths within the nasal cavity

Back 22

Nasal polyps

Front 23

Cells in the epithelial layer (or respiratory mucosa) are called ___ ___ ___ ___, and are found not only in the respiratory region of the nose but throughout most of the airways.

Back 23

pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium

Front 24

a single layer of tall, column-like cells with nuclei located at different heights, giving the false appearance of two or more layers of cells when in fact there is only one—hence the term pseudostrati' fied columnar.

Back 24

epithelium

Front 25

on top of the sol layer; as its name suggests, it is more viscous or gelatinous in nature

Back 25

gel layer

Front 26

traps small particles, such as dust or pathogens, on the mucus blanket, much like fly paper.

Back 26

gel layer

Front 27

Technically we are all airheads because the skull contains air-filled cavities (commonly called ___) that connect with the nasal cavity via small ducts (passageways).

Back 27

sinuses

Front 28

Because these sinuses are located around the nose, they are called...

Back 28

paranasal sinuses

Front 29

a hollow, muscular structure, about 2 1/2" long, lined with epithelial tissues. It serves as a common passageway for both air and food.

Back 29

pharynx (the throat)

Front 30

The pharynx begins behind the nasal cavities and is divided into the following three sections:

Back 30

• nasopharynx
• oropharynx
• laryngopharynx

Front 31

the uppermost section of the pharynx and begins right behind the nasal cavities

Back 31

nasopharynx

Front 32

nasopharynx also contains lymphatic tissue of the immune system, called the ___ and passageways to the middle ear called___

Back 32

adenoids

Eustachian tubes

Front 33

located right behind the oral or buccal cavity and conducts not only atmospheric gas but also food and liquid.

Back 33

oropharynx

Front 34

Air breathed through both the nose and the mouth passes through the ___, as does anything that is swallowed

Back 34

oropharynx

Front 35

The oral entrance is a strategic area to place "guardians" for the immune system because this is where pathogens can easily enter the body. Lymphoid tissue such as the ___ ___ are located in this area. Another set of tonsils, ___ ___, are found at the back of the tongue.

Back 35

palatine tonsils

the lingual tonsils

Front 36

the lowermost portion of the pharynx; an older term for it was the hypopharynx because of its position.

Back 36

laryngopharynx

Front 37

Swallowed materials pass through the ___ to get to the stomach, and air travels through the larynx and then the trachea on its way to the lungs.

Back 37

esophagus

Front 38

located in the neck, is a triangular chamber below the laryngopharynx that houses the important structures needed for speech.

Back 38

larynx

Front 39

a semi-rigid structure composed of cartilage fibrous plates connected by muscles and ligaments that provide for movement of the vocal cords to control speech.

Back 39

larynx

Front 40

The "___ ___" is the largest of the cartilages found in the larynx and is more prominent in males than females.

Back 40

"Adam's apple"

Front 41

"Adam's apple" is also anatomically known as the ___ ___, beneath which is the ___ ___.

Back 41

thyroid cartilage

cricoid cartilage

Front 42

The space between the vocal cords is called the ___ ___, or simply the ___.

Back 42

rima glottis

glottis

Front 43

the opening that leads into the larynx and eventually the lungs.

Back 43

glottis

Front 44

There is a leaf-shaped, flap-like fibrocartilage, located above the glottis, called the ___.

Back 44

epiglottis

Front 45

The ___ closes over the opening to the larynx when you swallow and opens up when you breathe, as part of swallowing reflex. This selective closure is called the ___ or ___ mechanism.

Back 45

epiglottis

glottic or sphincter

Front 46

the area of division between the upper and lower airways, representing the point of transition to the lower airways

Back 46

vocal cords

Front 47

familiar to everyone and is caused by over 200 different strains of viruses.

Back 47

common cold

Front 48

an infection of the sinus cavities by viruses or bacteria with subsequent inflammation of the mucous membrane linings

Back 48

Sinusitis

Front 49

causes the tonsils to swell and become painful, especially when swallowing. If severe, a tonsillectomy may be needed

Back 49

Tonsillitis

Front 50

___ (sore throat) can cause discomfort, especially when swallowing.

Back 50

Pharyngitis

Front 51

caused by the streptococcus bacteria, and causes a red, purulent (forming pus), and painful throat

Back 51

Strep throat

Front 52

___, or an inflamed voice box, is characterized by hoarseness and loss of speech

Back 52

Laryngitis

Front 53

an airway emergency in which the bacteria Haemophilus influenzae type B (often abbreviated H. influenzae type B or Hib) causes acute swelling of the epiglottis and airway obstruction

Back 53

Acute epiglottitis

Front 54

is different from epiglottitis but also results from an infection of the laryngeal area. It too can cause airway obstruction and is characterized by noisy breathing, especially on inspiration

Back 54

Laryngotracheobronchitis (LTB)

Front 55

a condition in which breathing stops during sleep

Back 55

Sleep apnea

Front 56

most commonly caused by soft tissue at the back of the throat relaxing and blocking the airway

Back 56

Sleep apnea

Front 57

the four D's that are signs of epiglottitis

Back 57

respiratory distress
drooling
dysphagia
dysphonia

Front 58

Upon leaving the vocal cords in the larynx, the inspired air enters the ___, also known as the windpipe, a 4 1/2" long tube lined with ciliated mucous membrane.

Back 58

trachea

Front 59

Once the trachea reaches the center of the chest, it begins its first branching, or bifurcation, into two bronchi (bronchus is the singular form), ___ and ___.

Back 59

the right mainstem and the left mainstem

Front 60

The site of bifurcation is called the...

Back 60

carina

Front 61

The mainstem bronchi are sometimes also referred to as...

Back 61

the primary bronchi

Front 62

Each lung lobe is further divided into specific segments, and the next branching of bronchi are called the...

Back 62

segmental bronchi

Front 63

The branching becomes more numerous with tiny ___ ___ that branch deep within each lung segment.

Back 63

subsegmental bronchi

Front 64

the very tiny airways called ___ that average only 1 millimeter in diameter. They have no cartilage layer, and the epithelial lining becomes ciliated cuboidal cells

Back 64

bronchioles

Front 65

The ___ ___, which have an average diameter of .5 millimeters, no goblet cells, no cartilage, no cilia, and no submucosal glands, mark the end of the conducting areas.

Back 65

terminal bronchioles

Front 66

The next airway beyond the terminal bronchiole is called the ___ ___ because a small portion of gas exchange takes place here.

Back 66

respiratory bronchiole

Front 67

The epithelial lining consists of simple cuboidal cells interspersed with actual alveoli-type cells, which are flat, pancake-like cells called ___ ___ ___.

Back 67

simple squamous pneumocytes

Front 68

The alveolar ducts give way to the grape bunch-like structures of several connected alveoli, better known as the ___ ___.

Back 68

alveolar sacs

Front 69

The alveoli are the terminal air sacs that are surrounded by numerous pul¬ monary capillaries and together make up the functional unit of the lung known as the ___ ___ ___

Back 69

alveolar capillary membrane

Front 70

The average number of alveoli in an adult lung ranges from ___ to ___

Back 70

300 million to 600 million.

Front 71

Upon closer inspection of the alveolar capillary membrane, you will see four distinct components. The first layer is the liquid ___ layer that lines the alveoli. This phospholipid helps lower the surface tension in these very tiny spheres (alveoli) that would otherwise collapse due to the high surface tension.

Back 71

surfactant

Front 72

The second component is the actual tissue layer, or ___ ___, comprised of simple squamous cells of two types.

Back 72

alveolar epithelium

Front 73

The main type (95 percent) comprising the alveolar surface is a flat, pancake-like cell called a ___ ___or Type I cell.

Back 73

squamous pneumocyte

Front 74

The alve¬ oli also need to produce the valuable surfactant, and this is where the plump Type II, or ___ ___, come in.

Back 74

granular pneumocytes

Front 75

The "clean-up" cells called Type III cells or ___ ___, ingest foreign particles as the macrophages wander throughout the alveoli.

Back 75

wandering macrophages

Front 76

The third component of the alveolar capillary membrane is the ___ ___. This is the area that separates the basement membrane of alveolar epithelium from the basement membrane of the capillary endothelium and contains interstitial fluid.

Back 76

interstitial space

Front 77

The fourth component is the ___ ___ that forms the wall of the capillary. The capillary contains the blood with the red blood cells that carry the precious gas cargo to its destination.

Back 77

capillary endothelium (also known as the simple squamous epithelium)

Front 78

Lung function can be measured in terms of volumes and flows using ___ ___ ___

Back 78

pulmonary function testing (PFTs)

Front 79

Your body a n attempt to respond to low hemoglobin levels by producing more red olood cells by a process called...

Back 79

erythropoiesis

Front 80

I he kidneys release into the bloodstream a hormone called ___. This substance travels through the blood and eventually reaches specialized cells found in the red bone marrow.

Back 80

erythropoietin

Front 81

Your ___ ___ ___ is what you can breathe in beyond a normal inspiration.

Back 81

inspiratory reserve volume

Front 82

your ___ ___ ___ is what you can exhale beyond a normal exhalation.

Back 82

expiratory reserve volume

Front 83

You can never totally exhale all of the air out of your lungs; your ___ ___ prevents total lung collapse.

Back 83

residual volume (RV)

Front 84

the volume of air remaining in the lungs at the end of a normal expiration

Back 84

Function residual capacity (FRC)

Front 85

the maximum amount of air that can be moved into and out of the respiratory system in a single respiratory cycle

Back 85

Vital capacity (VC)

Front 86

Besides volumes and capacities, we can also measure the ___ ___ coming out of the lung at various points during a forced (maximum patient effort) vital capacity (FVC).

Back 86

flow rates

Front 87

Normally one can exhale __% to __% of their FVC in one second. However, someone with an obstructive disease would take longer to exhale and get less than __% of their total FVC out in one second and therefore have a reduced FEV,.

Back 87

75-85%

70%

Front 88

we can measure the ___ ___ ___ in one second (FEV) and ___ ___ flow rate (PEFR).

Back 88

forced expiratory volume

peak expiratory

Front 89

the maximum flow rate or speed of air a person can rapidly expel after taking the deepest possible breath.

Back 89

Peak Expiratory Flow Rate or PEFR

Front 90

commonly found in the hospital setting, is a condition in which the air sacs of the lungs are either partially or totally collapsed.

Back 90

Atelectasis

Front 91

can occur in patients who cannot or will not take deep breaths to fully expand the lungs, stimulate surfactant production, and keep the air passageways open.

Back 91

Atelectasis

Front 92

Quite often, if atelectasis is not corrected and secretions are retained, ___ can develop within 72 hours.

Back 92

pneumonia

Front 93

a lung infection that can be caused by a virus, fungus, bacterium, aspiration, or chemical inhalation. Inflammation occurs in the infected areas, with an accumulation of cell debris and thick fluid in the alveoli.

Back 93

Pneumonia

Front 94

a bacterial infection that has seen a recent rise in occurrence and thrives in areas of the body that have high oxygen content such as in the lungs.

Back 94

Tuberculosis

Front 95

A healthy immune system can destroy tuberculosis bacteria, or encase the bacteria in lump-like structures called...

Back 95

tubercles

Front 96

a general term used to describe abnormal pulmonary conditions associated with cough, sputum production, dyspnea, airflow obstruction, and impaired gas exchange. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.

Back 96

Obstructive pulmonary disease

Front 97

a group of diseases in which patients have difficulty getting all the air out of their lungs and often have large amounts of secretions and lung damage.

Back 97

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Front 98

is distinguished by having reversible airway narrowing and airway hyperreactivity; and is most commonly characterized as an inflammatory process.

Back 98

Asthma

Front 99

is characterized anatomically as the permanent, abnormal enlargement of distal airway spaces and destruction of the alveolar walls.

Back 99

Emphysema

Front 100

is associated with a productive cough, enlargement of mucous glands, and hypertrophy of the airway smooth muscle.

Back 100

Chronic bronchitis

Front 101

a chronic inflammatory illness of the airways affecting nearly 20 million people in the United States (that's about 3.5% of the population), including 6.2 million children.

Back 101

Asthma

Front 102

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and younger adults, with about __% of cases developing before the age of 45.

Back 102

80%

Front 103

the airways of the lungs constrict often in reaction to an allergy.

Back 103

bronchospasm

Front 104

inability to get air out of the lungs is known as ___ ___.

Back 104

gas trapping

Front 105

Persons with asthma develop bronchospasm on exposure to specific sensitizing substances usually described as "___."

Back 105

triggers

Front 106

Common triggers of asthma include:

Back 106

allergens
inhalants
viruses
cold air
and exercise

Front 107

a nonreversible lung condition in which the alveolar air sacs are destroyed and the lung itself becomes "floppy" much like a balloon that has been inflated and deflated many times.

Back 107

Emphysema

Front 108

The work of breathing for the severely emphysemic patient expends energy similar to the energy spent ___.

Back 108

jogging

Front 109

About __ million persons in the United States are estimated to have emphysema.

Back 109

two

Front 110

a glycoprotein that is essential in protecting the lungs against naturally occurring proteases that have the ability to destroy lung tissue.

Back 110

alpha-antitrypsin (a,-AT)

Front 111

lung disease in which there are inflamed airways and large amounts of sputum produced. As inflammation occurs, the airways swell and the inner diameter of the airways get smaller.

Back 111

Chronic bronchitis

Front 112

more common than emphysema, with a prevalence of over 9 million persons in the U.S.

Back 112

Chronic bronchitis

Front 113

Cigarette smoking is the major causative factor in up to __% of cases of chronic bronchitis

Back 113

90%

Front 114

The lungs reside in the thoracic cavity and are separated by a region called the ___, which contains the esophagus, heart, great vessels (superior and inferior vena cava and aorta), and trachea

Back 114

mediastinum

Front 115

each lung is wrapped in a sac, or serous membrane called the ___ ___.

Back 115

visceral pleura

Front 116

The thoracic cavity and the upper side of the diaphragm are lined with a continuation of the viceral pleura membrane called the ___ ___.

Back 116

parietal pleura

Front 117

Between these two pleural layers is an intrapleural space (pleural cavity) that contains a slippery liquid called...

Back 117

pleural fluid

Front 118

greatly reduces the friction as an individual breathes

Back 118

pleural fluid.

Front 119

a condition in which there is air inside the thoracic cavity and outside of the lungs.

Back 119

pneumothorax

Front 120

a condition in which there is an excessive build-up of fluid in the pleural space between the parietal and the visceral pleura.

Back 120

pleural effusion

Front 121

the rounded peak of the lung.

Back 121

apex

Front 122

The medial surface of the lung has a deep, concave cavity that contains the heart and therefore is called the...

Back 122

cardiac impression

Front 123

the area where the root of each lung is attached.

Back 123

The hilum

Front 124

The lungs, heart, and great vessels are all protected by the...

Back 124

bony thorax

Front 125

The control center that tells us to breathe is located in the brain in an area known as the...

Back 125

medulla oblongata

Front 126

The ease by which ventilation occurs is referred to as...

Back 126

compliance

Front 127

___ ___ means that it is more difficult to expand the lungs, whereas ___ ___ means that less effort is required to expand the lungs.

Back 127

Low compliance

high compliance

Front 128

A developing newborn has a breathing rate of __ to __ breaths/minute. This slows to __ to __breaths/minute in adulthood.

Back 128

40-60

14-20

Front 129

during increased physical activity or in disease states in which more oxygen is required, ___ ___ are used to help pull up your rib cage to make an even larger space in the thoracic cavity.

Back 129

accessory muscles

Front 130

Cause not known but bnked to smoking and inhalation of carcinogens.

Back 130

Bronchogenic Carcinoma (lung cancer)

Front 131

Although ___ is often not thought of as a drug, it is the major drug used in treating respiratory diseases as well as cardiac disease.

Back 131

oxygen