Mammalian Gas Exchange (Mr Webber) Flashcards
What structures are found in the trachea?
Ciliated epithelium cells, goblet cells, incomplete cartilage rings
What structures are found in the bronchi?
Incomplete cartilage rings, ciliated epithelium cells, goblet cells
What structures are found in the bronchioles?
Smooth muscle
What structures are found in the alveoli?
Elastic fibres
Ciliated epithelium cells function
Have cilia; projections that beat to waft foreign bodies (often trapped in mucus) away from the lungs and to the oesophagus to be swallowed and digested.
Goblet cells function
Secrete mucus to trap pathogens and other foreign bodies and keep them from the lungs.
Incomplete cartilage rings function
Prevents the trachea and bronchi from collapsing, though since the trachea is in front of the oesophagus, they are incomplete to allow food to pass
Smooth muscle function
They can contract separate from from thought and regulate the size of the bronchioles and therefore the volume of air reaching the alveoli. Asthma is a condition where the smooth muscle is too sensitive to dust and other particles, closing up the airways.
Elastic fibres
Made of elastin, the fibres allow the alveoli to stretch, increasing their volume, and return to normal size, (called elastic recoil) decreasing the volume.
Where is Ciliated epithelium found?
Trachea, bronchi
Where are goblet cells found?
Trachea, bronchi
Where are incomplete cartilage rings found?
Trachea, bronchioles
Where is smooth muscle found?
Bronchioles
Where are elastic fibres found?
Alveoli
How do goblet cells and Ciliated epithelium cells work together?
Goblet cells secret mucus through the gaps in the Ciliated epithelium tissue, trapping foreign bodies, which are then wafted to the oesophagus by the cilia.
