Respiratory system Flashcards
what is the function of the nose pharynx epiglottis larynx
nose trap: debris from reaching the lungs allows for oxygen to flow to the lungs
pharynx: other wise known as the throat air travels through it before being diverted into the trachea by the epiglottis
epiglottis: a flap of elastic cartilage during inhalation the epiglottis covers the esophagus guiding the air to the trachea
larynx: is cartilage and include the voice cord
what are the functions of the trachea bronchi bronchioles and lungs alveoli
trachea also known as the wind pipe is made up of c shaped cartilage rings that hold the structure open the trachea spits into two branches
bronchi
bronchi: at the end of the trachea there is a split into two bronchi it is also a c shaped cartilage ring but more spread out with smooth muscle
bronchioles: come after the bronchi made up of smooth muscle
lungs: the lungs are split into two lobes
alveoli: tiny air sacks they occur in clusters and are very thin walled to allow for gas exchange and are well supplied with blood capillaries
define inspiration and expiration
inspiration the process of taking are to the lungs the pressure in the lungs must be less than the atmospheric pressure during inspiration the the diaphragm becomes flat and the inter costal muscles contract and the ribs move up and outwards until the pressure gradient is equal
expiration the diaphragm and intercostals relax and the ribcage mores downwards this reduces the volume of the chest cavity
why are the lungs suited to gas exchange
1 the alveoli gives the lungs a large internal surface area meaning there is a short exchange time
2 the alveolus is well supplies with blood vessels so that as much blood as possible is close to the are in the alveolus
3 the membrane which form the wall off the alveolus are very thin so gas exchange can easily occur
the alveoli insures that there is always a ____gradient of oxygen and _______ between the air and the blood
1 concentration
2 carbon dioxide
the blood surrounding the blood capillaries surrounding the alveoli are bought by the
pulmonary artery
describe the process of gas exchange
the blood which arrives come with carbon dioxide from the prosses of cell respiration. therefore this blood has a low concentration of carbon dioxide. oxygen dissolves from the alveolus into the blood capillaries and vise versa the carbon dioxide will diffuse out off the blood and into the air off the alveolus. for this diffusion to occur there must be a concentration gradient. which is maintained by constantly flow of blood through capillaries and constant moment of air into the alveolus
describe emphysema, lung cancer, lung infections and asthma
emphysema: caused by long term exposure to irritating particles ie) pollution in air these irritating particles damage the alveoli this reduces the internal surface area off the lungs this causes difficulty breathing from the lungs this can not be cured.
lung cancer: the development off a mass cell that divides in an uncontrolled way and is often caused by Tabaco the mucous in the the bronchi becomes irritated causing an increase in mucos production.
lung infections: pneumonia is an infection of the lung caused by bacteria which causes inflammation meaning the lungs can retain less air
tuberculosis: is one of the top 3 infectious diseases causing death the spread from droplets when people sneeze
asthma a medical condition which causes difficulty breathing by narrowing the airway triggers can be exercise smoke and dust during an attack the smooth muscle will contract causing constricted air way.
what is the function of the diaphragm, intercostals and the pleural membrane
diaphragm a dome shaped muscle which sits bettween the ribcage and the abdomen
the internal and external intercostal muscles move the ribcage upward and downwards during inspiration and expiration
pleural: The primary function of the pleural membrane is to separate the two lungs in the human body. It provides a barrier to help keep the two lungs away from each other while remaining air tight
Identify and describe the steps involved in the process of inspiration
For air to enter the lungs there must be a lower concentration of gas inside the lungs than compared to the outside environment
To create this pressure difference two things occur; the diaphragm contracts and flattens extending the chest cavity down
and the intercostal muscles contract extending the rib cage upwards and out wards
As a result of this the lung volume increases
There is now a lower concentration of air inside the lungs than in the environment, and subsequently air flows from higher pressure to lower pressure, resulting in breathing in
