Respiratory System

Respiratory System (zones)

-Consists of the respiratory and conducting zones

Respiratory System

Respiratory zone: (2)

1. Site of gas exchange

2. Consists of bronchioles, alveolar ducts, and alveoli

Respiratory System

Conducting zone: (2)

1. Conduits for air to reach the sites of gas exchange

2. Includes all other respiratory structures (e.g., nose, nasal cavity, pharynx, trachea)

Respiratory System

Respiratory muscles

diaphragm and other muscles that promote ventilation

Major Functions of the Respiratory System

1. To supply the body with oxygen and dispose of carbon dioxide

Respiration – four distinct processes must happen

1. Pulmonary ventilation – moving air into and out of the lungs

2. External respiration – gas exchange between the lungs and the blood

3. Transport of respiratory gases– transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and tissues

4. Internal respiration – gas exchange between systemic blood vessels and tissues

Function of the Nose (5)

(The only externally visible)

1. Providing an airway for respiration

2. Moistening and warming the entering air

3. Filtering inspired air and cleaning it of foreign matter

4. Serving as a resonating chamber for speech

5. Housing the olfactory receptors

Structure of the Nose (4)

Nose is divided into two regions:

-External nose- includes the root, bridge, dorsum nasi, and apex

-Internal nasal cavity

*Philtrum – a shallow vertical groove inferior to the apex

*The external nares (nostrils) are bounded laterally by the alae

Nasal Cavity (5)

1. Lies in and posterior to the external nose

2. Is divided by a midline nasal septum

3. Opens posteriorly into the nasal pharynx via internal nares

4. The ethmoid and sphenoid bones form the roof

5. The floor is formed by the hard and soft palates

Nasal Cavity

Vestibule

nasal cavity superior to the nares

Nasal Cavity

Vibrissae

hairs that filter coarse particles from inspired air

Nasal Cavity

Olfactory Mucosa (2)

1. Lines the superior nasal cavity

2. Contains smell receptors

Nasal Cavity

Respiratory Mucosa (2)

1.Lines the balance of the nasal cavity

2. Glands secrete mucus containing lysozyme and defensins to help destroy bacteria

Nasal Cavity

Inspired air: (3)

1. Humidified by the high water content in the nasal cavity

2. Warmed by rich plexuses of capillaries

3. Ciliated mucosal cells remove contaminated mucus

Nasal Cavity

Superior, medial, and inferior conchae: (4)

1. Protrude medially from the lateral walls

2. Increase mucosal area

3. Enhance air turbulence and help filter air

4. Sensitive mucosa triggers sneezing when stimulated by irritating particles

Functions of the Nasal Mucosa and Conchae:

During inhalation the conchae and nasal mucosa:

Filter, heat, and moisten air

Functions of the Nasal Mucosa and Conchae:

During exhalation the conchae and nasal mucosa:

1. Reclaim heat and moisture

2. Minimize heat and moisture loss

Paranasal Sinuses (2)

1.Sinuses in bones that surround the nasal cavity

2. Sinuses lighten the skull and help to warm and moisten the air

Pharynx (3)

1. Funnel-shaped tube of skeletal muscle that connects to the:

-Nasal cavity and mouth superiorly

-Larynx and esophagus inferiorly

-Extends from the base of the skull to the level of the sixth cervical vertebra

Pharynx

It is divided into three regions:

1. Nasopharynx

2. Oropharynx

3. Laryngopharynx

Pharynx

Nasopharynx (6)

1. Lies posterior to the nasal cavity, inferior to the sphenoid, and superior to the level of the soft palate

2. Strictly an air passageway

3. Lined with pseudostratified columnar epithelium

4. Closes during swallowing to prevent food from entering the nasal cavity

5. The pharyngeal tonsil lies high on the posterior wall

6. Pharyngotympanic (auditory) tubes open into the lateral walls

Pharynx

Oropharynx (6)

1. Extends inferiorly from the level of the soft palate to the epiglottis

2. Opens to the oral cavity via an archway called the fauces

3. Serves as a common passageway for food and air

4. The epithelial lining is the protective stratified squamous epithelium

5. Palatine tonsils lie in the lateral walls of the fauces

6. Lingual tonsil covers the base of the tongue

Pharynx

Laryngopharynx(3)

1. Serves as a common passageway for food and air

2. Lies posterior to the upright epiglottis

3. Extends to the larynx, where the respiratory and digestive pathways diverge

Larynx (Voice Box) (2)

1. Attaches to the hyoid bone and opens into the laryngopharynx superiorly

2. Continuous with the trachea posteriorly

The three functions of the Larynx are:

1. provide a patent airway

2. to act as a switching mechanism to route air and food into the proper channels

3. To function in voice production

Framework of the Larynx (4)

Cartilages (hyaline) of the larynx:

1. Shield-shaped anterosuperior thyroid cartilage with a midline laryngeal prominence (Adam’s apple)

2. Signet ring–shaped anteroinferior cricoid cartilage

3. Three pairs of small arytenoid, cuneiform, and corniculate cartilages

4. Epiglottis – elastic cartilage that covers the laryngeal inlet during swallowing

Vocal Ligaments (4)

True Vocal Cords

1. Attach the arytenoid cartilages to the thyroid cartilage

2. Composed of elastic fibers that form mucosal folds called true vocal cords

3. The medial opening between them is the glottis

4. They vibrate to produce sound as air rushes up from the lungs

Vocal Ligaments (2)

False Vocal Cord

1. Mucosal folds superior to the true vocal cords

2. Have no part in sound production

Vocal Production (5)

1. Speech – intermittent release of expired air while opening and closing the glottis

2. Pitch – determined by the length and tension of the vocal cords

3. Loudness – depends upon the force at which the air rushes across the vocal cords

4. The pharynx resonates, amplifies, and enhances sound quality

5.Sound is “shaped” into language by action of the pharynx, tongue, soft palate, and lips

Sphincter Functions of the Larynx (5)

1. The larynx is closed during coughing, sneezing, and Valsalva’s maneuver

2. Valsalva’s maneuver

-Air is temporarily held in the lower respiratory tract by closing the glottis

-Causes intra-abdominal pressure to rise when abdominal muscles contract

-Helps to empty the rectum

-Acts as a splint to stabilize the trunk when lifting heavy loads

Trachea (4)

1. Flexible and mobile tube extending from the larynx into the mediastinum

2. Composed of three layers

-Mucosa – made up of goblet cells and ciliated epithelium

-Submucosa – connective tissue deep to the mucosa

-Adventitia – outermost layer made of C-shaped rings of hyaline cartilage

Conducting Zone: Bronchi (5)

1. Carina of the last tracheal cartilage marks the end of the trachea and the beginning of the bronchi.

2. Air reaching the bronchi is:

-Warm and cleansed of impurities

-Saturated with water vapor

3. Bronchi subdivide into secondary bronchi, each supplying a lobe of the lungs

-Air passages undergo 23 orders of branching

Conducting Zone: Bronchial Tree (5)

1. Tissue walls of bronchi mimic that of the trachea

2. As conducting tubes become smaller, structural changes occur:

-Cartilage support structures change

-Epithelium types change

-Amount of smooth muscle increases

Conducting Zone: Bronchial Tree (3)

Bronchioles

-Consist of cuboidal epithelium

-Have a complete layer of circular smooth muscle

-Lack cartilage support and mucus-producing cells

Respiratory Zone (5)

1. Defined by the presence of alveoli; begins as terminal bronchioles feed into respiratory bronchioles

2. Respiratory bronchioles lead to alveolar ducts, then to terminal clusters of alveolar sacs composed of alveoli

3. Approximately 300 million alveoli:

-Account for most of the lungs’ volume

-Provide tremendous surface area for gas exchange

Respiratory Membrane (3)

1. This air-blood barrier is composed of:

-Alveolar and capillary walls
-Their fused basal laminas

Respiratory Membrane (4)

1. Alveolar walls:

-Composed of a single layer of type I epithelial cells

-Permit gas exchange by simple diffusion

-Secrete angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)

-Type II cells secrete surfactant

Alveoli (4)

1. Surrounded by fine elastic fibers

2. Contain open pores that: Connect adjacent alveoli

3. Allow air pressure throughout the lung to be equalized

4. House macrophages that keep alveolar surfaces sterile

Gross Anatomy of the Lungs (6)

1. Lungs occupy all of the thoracic cavity except the mediastinum

2. Root – site of vascular and bronchial attachments

3. Costal surface – anterior, lateral, and posterior surfaces in contact with the ribs

4. Apex – narrow superior tip

5. Base – inferior surface that rests on the diaphragm

6. Hilus – indentation that contains pulmonary and systemic blood vessels

Lungs (4)

1. Cardiac notch (impression) – cavity that accommodates the heart

2. Left lung – separated into upper and lower lobes by the oblique fissure

3. Right lung – separated into three lobes by the oblique and horizontal fissures

4. There are 10 bronchopulmonary segments in each lung

Blood Supply to Lungs (4)

1. Lungs are perfused by two circulations: pulmonary and bronchial

-Pulmonary arteries – supply systemic venous blood to be oxygenated

-Branch profusely, along with bronchi

2. Ultimately feed into the pulmonary capillary network surrounding the alveoli

-Pulmonary veins – carry oxygenated blood from respiratory zones to the heart

Blood Supply to Lungs (5)

1. Bronchial arteries – provide systemic blood to the lung tissue

2. Arise from aorta and enter the lungs at the hilus

3. Supply all lung tissue except the alveoli

4. Bronchial veins anastomose with pulmonary veins

5. Pulmonary veins carry most venous blood back to the heart

Pleurae (4)

1. Thin, double-layered serosa

2. Parietal pleura

-Covers the thoracic wall and superior face of the diaphragm

-Continues around heart and between lungs

Pleurae (5)

1. Visceral, or pulmonary, pleura

-Covers the external lung surface

2. Divides the thoracic cavity into three chambers

-The central mediastinum

-Two lateral compartments, each containing a lung

Breathing (3)

Breathing, or pulmonary ventilation, consists of two phases:

-Inspiration – air flows into the lungs

-Expiration – gases exit the lungs

Pressure Relationships in the Thoracic Cavity (5)

1. Respiratory pressure is always described relative to atmospheric pressure

2. Atmospheric pressure (Patm)

-Pressure exerted by the air surrounding the body

-Negative respiratory pressure is less than Patm

-Positive respiratory pressure is greater than Patm

Pressure Relationships in the Thoracic Cavity (2)

1. Intrapulmonary pressure (Ppul) – pressure within the alveoli

2. Intrapleural pressure (Pip) – pressure within the pleural cavity

Pressure Relationships (3)

1. Intrapulmonary pressure and intrapleural pressure fluctuate with the phases of breathing

2. Intrapulmonary pressure always eventually equalizes itself with atmospheric pressure

3. Intrapleural pressure is always less than intrapulmonary pressure and atmospheric pressure

Pressure Relationships (4)

1. Two forces act to pull the lungs away from the thoracic wall, promoting lung collapse

2. Elasticity of lungs causes them to assume smallest possible size

3. Surface tension of alveolar fluid draws alveoli to their smallest possible size

4. Opposing force – elasticity of the chest wall pulls the thorax outward to enlarge the lungs

Lung Collapse (3)

1. Caused by equalization of the intrapleural pressure with the intrapulmonary pressure

2. Transpulmonary pressure keeps the airways open

3. Transpulmonary pressure – difference between the intrapulmonary and intrapleural pressures
(Ppul – Pip)

Pulmonary Ventilation (2)

1. A mechanical process that depends on volume changes in the thoracic cavity

2. Volume changes lead to pressure changes, which lead to the flow of gases to equalize pressure

Boyle’s Law

the relationship between the pressure and volume of gases

Inspiration (4)

1. The diaphragm and external intercostal muscles (inspiratory muscles) contract and the rib cage rises

2. The lungs are stretched and intrapulmonary volume increases

3. Intrapulmonary pressure drops below atmospheric pressure (-1 mm Hg)

4. Air flows into the lungs, down its pressure gradient, until intrapleural pressure = atmospheric pressure

Expiration (5)

1. Inspiratory muscles relax and the rib cage descends due to gravity

2. Thoracic cavity volume decreases

3. Elastic lungs recoil passively and intrapulmonary volume decreases

4. Intrapulmonary pressure rises above atmospheric pressure (+1 mm Hg)

5. Gases flow out of the lungs down the pressure gradient until intrapulmonary pressure is 0

Airway Resistance (3)

1. Friction or drag is the major nonelastic source of resistance to airflow

2. The amount of gas flowing into and out of the alveoli is directly proportional to ^P, the difference in pressure or the pressure gradient between the atmosphere and the alveoli

3. Gas flow is inversely proportional to resistance with the greatest resistance being in the medium-sized bronchi

Airway Resistance (3)

1. As airway resistance rises, breathing movements become more strenuous

2. Severely constricted or obstructed bronchioles:

-Can prevent life-sustaining ventilation

-Can occur during acute asthma attacks which stops ventilation

3. Epinephrine release via the sympathetic nervous system dilates bronchioles and reduces air resistance

Alveolar Surface Tension (3)

1. Surface tension – the attraction of liquid molecules to one another at a liquid-gas interface

2. The liquid coating the alveolar surface is always acting to reduce the alveoli to the smallest possible size

3. Surfactant, a detergent-like complex, reduces surface tension and helps keep the alveoli from collapsing

Lung Compliance (5)

-The ease with which lungs can be expanded

-Specifically, the measure of the change in lung volume that occurs with a given change in transpulmonary pressure

-Determined by two main factors

1. Distensibility of the lung tissue and surrounding thoracic cage

2. Surface tension of the alveoli

Factors That Diminish Lung Compliance (4)

1. Scar tissue or fibrosis that reduces the natural resilience of the lungs

2. Blockage of the smaller respiratory passages with mucus or fluid

3. Reduced production of surfactant

4. Decreased flexibility of the thoracic cage or its decreased ability to expand

Factors That Diminish Lung Compliance

Examples includes: (3)

1. Deformities of thorax

2. Ossification of the costal cartilage

3. Paralysis of intercostal muscles

Respiratory Volumes

Tidal volume (TV)

air that moves into and out of the lungs with each breath (approximately 500 ml)

Respiratory Volumes

Inspiratory reserve volume (IRV)

air that can be inspired forcibly beyond the tidal volume (2100–3200 ml)

Respiratory Volumes

Expiratory reserve volume (ERV

air that can be evacuated from the lungs after a tidal expiration (1000–1200 ml)

Respiratory Volumes

Residual volume (RV)

air left in the lungs after strenuous expiration (1200 ml)

Respiratory Capacities

Inspiratory capacity (IC)

total amount of air that can be inspired after a tidal expiration (IRV + TV)

Respiratory Capacities

Functional residual capacity (FRC)

amount of air remaining in the lungs after a tidal expiration
(RV + ERV)

Respiratory Capacities

Vital capacity (VC)

the total amount of exchangeable air (TV + IRV + ERV)

Respiratory Capacities

Total lung capacity (TLC)

sum of all lung volumes (approximately 6000 ml in males)

Dead Space (3)

1. Anatomical dead space – volume of the conducting respiratory passages (150 ml)

2. Alveolar dead space – alveoli that cease to act in gas exchange due to collapse or obstruction

3. Total dead space – sum of alveolar and anatomical dead spaces

Pulmonary Function Tests

Spirometer – an instrument consisting of a hollow bell inverted over water, used to evaluate respiratory function

Pulmonary Function Tests

Spirometry can distinguish between:

1. Obstructive pulmonary disease – increased airway resistance

2. Restrictive disorders – reduction in total lung capacity from structural or functional lung changes

Pulmonary Function Tests

Minute ventilation

total amount of gas flow into or out of the respiratory tract in one minute

Pulmonary Function Tests

Forced vital capacity (FVC)

gas forcibly expelled after taking a deep breath

Pulmonary Function Tests

Forced expiratory volume (FEV)

the amount of gas expelled during specific time intervals of the FVC

Pulmonary Function Tests

Increases/Reduction (2)

1. Increases in TLC, FRC, and RV may occur as a result of obstructive disease

2. Reduction in VC, TLC, FRC, and RV result from restrictive disease

Alveolar Ventilation (2)

Alveolar ventilation rate (AVR)

measures the flow of fresh gases into and out of the alveoli during a particular time

-Slow, deep breathing increases AVR and rapid, shallow breathing decreases AVR

Nonrespiratory Air Movements (2)

-Most result from reflex action

-Examples include: coughing, sneezing, crying, laughing, hiccupping, and yawning

Dalton’s Law of Partial Pressures

-Total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is the sum of the pressures exerted independently by each gas in the mixture

Basic Properties of Gases: Henry’s Law

-When a mixture of gases is in contact with a liquid, each gas will dissolve in the liquid in proportion to its partial pressure

-The amount of gas that will dissolve in a liquid also depends upon its solubility:

1. Carbon dioxide is the most soluble

2. Oxygen is 1/20th as soluble as carbon dioxide

3. Nitrogen is practically insoluble in plasma

Composition of Alveolar Gas (4)

1. The atmosphere is mostly oxygen and nitrogen, while alveoli contain more carbon dioxide and water vapor

2. These differences result from:

-Gas exchanges in the lungs – oxygen diffuses from the alveoli and carbon dioxide diffuses into the alveoli

-Humidification of air by conducting passages

-The mixing of alveolar gas that occurs with each breath