Lesson 6 - health and the respiratory system Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is asthma?
Asthma develops when the bronchial tubes become swollen or inflamed.
What causes the bronchial tubes to narrow in asthma?
The muscles around the tubes contract, making the tubes narrow, or the tubes are partly blocked by mucus.
What symptom is commonly associated with asthma?
Wheezy breathing.
What usually triggers asthma?
An allergy to dust or chemicals.
How does the body react to asthma triggers?
The body sends a type of white blood cell to destroy the lining cells of the bronchi.
What happens to the lining of the bronchi during an asthma attack?
The lining becomes swollen, and mucus produced by the cells becomes thicker.
How does mucus affect the airways in asthma?
The thicker mucus cannot be removed by the lungs and starts to block the airways.
How does air travel in a non-asthmatic person?
Air enters the respiratory system from the nose and mouth and travels through relaxed bronchial tubes.
What happens to the bronchial tubes in an asthmatic person?
The muscles of the bronchial tubes tighten and thicken, inflaming the air passages.
What is the difference in bronchial tube condition between asthmatic and non-asthmatic individuals?
In non-asthmatic individuals, the muscles are relaxed and the tissue is thin, allowing for easy airflow.
What is nicotine?
A colourless chemical that is a powerful poison and addictive. It affects the heart, blood vessels, and nervous system, narrows coronary arteries, and increases the risk of blood clots.
What is tar?
A sticky brown substance that causes bronchitis, emphysema, and cancer. It stains teeth and fingers yellow and collects in the lungs.
What is carbon monoxide?
An odourless gas that binds to red blood cells better than oxygen.
What is ammonia?
A strong smelling substance normally used as a cleaning fluid.
What other harmful ingredients are present in cigarettes?
In addition to nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, and ammonia, there are over 1000 other ingredients, many of which are very harmful.
What is the effect of nicotine from two cigarettes injected into the body?
It is enough to kill within minutes.
Asthma simplified
Asthma happens when airways (bronchial tubes) get swollen and narrow.
The muscles around the tubes tighten.
Mucus builds up, blocking the airways.
This makes breathing hard and causes wheezing.
It’s often triggered by allergies (like dust or chemicals).
The body reacts by sending white blood cells, which make things worse by making the airway lining swollen and mucus thicker.
