Chapter 6 - The Respiratory System Flashcards
List the structures in the respiratory pathway, from where air enters the nares to the alveoli.
- Nares
- Nasal Cavity
- Pharynx (where air is warmed and humidified)
- Larynx
- Trachea
- Bronchi
- Bronchioles
- Alveoli
Where are the lungs located?
The thoracic cavity
What are Alveoli?
Small sacs that interface with the pulmonary capillaries, allowing gases to diffuse across a one-cell thick membrane.
What is Surfactant?
In the Alveoli; reduces surface tension at the liquid-gas interface, preventing collapse.
What is Pleurae?
Membranes that cover the lungs and line the chest wall.
What are the two types of Pleurae?
- Visceral: lies adjacent to the lung itself
2. Parietal: lines the chest wall
What is the Intrapleural Space?
What lies between the two Pleurae and contains a thin layer of fluid that lubricates the two pleural surfaces.
What is the Diaphragm?
A thin skeletal muscle that helps to create the pressure differential required for breathing.
Which muscles are involved in Inhalation?
Inhalation is an active process. The diaphragm and external intercostal muscles; in laboured breathing muscles of the neck and back may also be involved.
What muscles are involved in Exhalation?
Passive exhalation uses the recoil of the same muscles used for Inhalation. Active Exhalation also uses the internal intercostal muscles and the abdominal muscles.
Define Negative-Pressure Breathing
When the pressure differential expands the lungs, it drops the pressure within and draws in air from the environment.
What is a Spirometer?
Can be used to measure lung capacity and volume.
What is Total Lung Capacity? (TLC)
The maximum volume of air in the lungs when one inhales completely.
What is Residual Volume? (RV)
The volume of air remaining in the lungs when one exhales completely.
What is Vital Capacity? (VC)
The difference between the minimum and maximum volume of air in the lungs.