non-respiratory lung functions

Question 1

what are the 4 neurological respiratory centres, what are their locations and what dot they control

Answer 1

dorsal respiratory group
- located in dorsal medulla
- involved in inspiratory activity
- inputs via vagus and glossopharyngeal nerve (mechanoreceptors and peripheral chemoreceptors)
- output via phrenic nerve

ventral respiratory centre
- located in the ventral medulla
- main rol: expiration during exercise
- inspriatory neruons can assist DRG and inhibit expiratory neurons of VRG during inspiration

pneumotaxic centre
- rostral portion of the pons
- limit inspiration

apneustic centre
- caudal pons
- role not well understood

Question 2

what chemoreceptors are involved in the regulation of ventilation

Answer 2

Question 3

why does a big chamge in O2 have less effect on ventilation than changes in CO2

Answer 3

O2 saturation curve

Question 4

what non-respiratory functions do the lungs carry out

Answer 4

• vascular reservoir: not all blood is being used for respiration, the remaining blood volume is held within the pumunary vasculature
• act as a filter: the lung can filter out both endogenous (such as clots) and exogenous material and prevent them from entering systemic circulation
• defence against inhaled substances
• endocrine and metabolic functions: the lungs can play a role in inactivatin, activating circulating compounds as wekk as synthesising others (drugs)