resp anatomy Flashcards
(135 cards)
1
Q
What are the primary functions of the respiratory system?
A
Gas exchange (O₂ in, CO₂ out), regulation of blood pH, voice production, olfaction, and protection from inhaled pathogens.
2
Q
What structures make up the upper respiratory tract?
A
Nose, nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, and pharynx
3
Q
What structures make up the lower respiratory tract?
A
Larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli.
4
Q
What is the main function of the nasal cavity?
.
A
To warm, moisten, and filter air before it reaches the lungs
5
Q
What are the three parts of the pharynx?
A
Nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx
6
Q
What structure prevents food from entering the trachea during swallowing?
A
The epiglottis.
7
Q
What is the function of the larynx?
A
Voice production and routing air and food into the proper channels.
8
Q
What is the trachea commonly known as?
A
The windpipe.
9
Q
What are alveoli?
A
Tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs
10
Q
What bones form the bony part of the nasal septum?
A
The perpendicular plate of the ethmoid and the vomer.
10
Q
What muscle is primarily responsible for breathing?
A
The diaphragm.
11
Q
What are the three nasal conchae, and where are they located?
A
Superior and middle conchae (parts of ethmoid bone), and inferior concha (independent bone); located on the lateral wall of the nasal cavity.
12
Q
What is the clinical significance of the concha bullosa?
A
It’s an air pocket in the middle meatus that can obstruct sinus drainage and cause sinusitis
13
Q
What is choanal atresia and why is bilateral choanal atresia an emergency?
A
It’s a congenital blockage of the nasal passage. Bilateral cases cause upper airway obstruction in newborns.
14
Q
What drains into the superior nasal meatus?
A
The sphenoidal and posterior ethmoid sinuses
15
Q
What structures drain into the inferior nasal meatus?
A
The nasolacrimal duct
16
Q
What structures drain into the middle nasal meatus?
A
The maxillary, frontal, and anterior ethmoid sinuses
17
Q
What is Kiesselbach’s area and its significance?
A
It’s a vascular area in the anterior nasal septum; common site for nosebleeds (epistaxis).
18
Q
What nerve innervates the posteroinferior nasal mucosa?
A
Maxillary nerve (CN V2).
19
Q
What is CSF rhinorrhea and what causes it?
A
Leakage of cerebrospinal fluid from the nose, often due to trauma or fracture of the cribriform plate
20
Q
What are nasal polyps composed of?
A
Edematous mucosa with loose stroma, often containing hyperplastic epithelium.
21
Q
In what conditions are nasal polyps most common?
A
Children with cystic fibrosis and adults with ASA-intolerant asthma.
22
Q
What bones form the hard palate?
A
Palatine processes of the maxillae and the horizontal plates of the palatine bones
23
Q
What nerve supplies sensation to the hard palate?
A
Greater palatine and nasopalatine nerves.
24
What are the functions of the soft palate during swallowing?
Blocks the nasal cavity to prevent food from entering it
25
What is Sellick’s maneuver used for?
To prevent aspiration during emergency intubation by compressing the esophagus.
25
What structure forms the “Adam’s apple”?
The laryngeal prominence of the thyroid cartilage.
26
What is the rima glottidis?
The opening between the true vocal cords and arytenoid cartilages
26
Which joint allows rotation and gliding of the thyroid cartilage?
The cricothyroid joint
27
What is the only complete ring of cartilage in the airway?
The cricoid cartilage.
28
What joint allows movement of the arytenoid cartilages?
The cricoarytenoid joint.
29
What is the quadrangular membrane?
A fibroelastic membrane from epiglottis to arytenoid cartilages; forms vestibular ligament.
30
What forms the true vocal cords?
The vocal ligaments and the overlying mucosa
31
What is the only muscle that abducts the vocal cords?
Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle.
32
What happens if the recurrent laryngeal nerve is injured?
Hoarseness or aphonia due to paralysis of intrinsic laryngeal muscles (except cricothyroid).
33
Which nerve innervates the cricothyroid muscle?
External branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (branch of CN X).
34
What is the glottis composed of?
Vocal folds, vocal processes, and the rima glottidis.
34
Which laryngeal structure closes during swallowing?
The epiglottis.
34
Which cartilage forms the superior part of the anterior wall of the laryngeal inlet?
Epiglottic cartilage
34
What are the supraglottic, glottic, and subglottic regions of the larynx?
Above, at, and below the vocal folds, respectively.
35
What forms the conus elasticus?
Lateral cricothyroid ligaments and vocal ligaments.
36
What does the cricothyroid ligament connect?
The cricoid and thyroid cartilages (site of emergency cricothyrotomy).
37
What is the function of the thyroarytenoid and vocalis muscles?
To adjust tension and length of the vocal folds for sound modulation.
38
What symptom does Ortner syndrome cause?
Hoarseness due to left recurrent laryngeal nerve compression by an enlarged left atrium.
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What nerve provides sensory innervation above the vocal cords?
Internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve.
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Flashcard 46
Q: What vertebral levels does the trachea span?
A:
From C6 to T4/T5.
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Flashcard 47
Q: What is the carina, and why is it clinically significant?
A:
It's the ridge at the tracheal bifurcation; highly sensitive and elicits the cough reflex.
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Flashcard 48
Q: How many cartilaginous rings support the trachea?
A:
16–20 incomplete rings.
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Flashcard 49
Q: What muscle completes the posterior part of the trachea?
A:
The trachealis muscle.
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Flashcard 50
Q: What is a tracheal diverticulum?
A:
A pouch that can cause recurrent infections or respiratory distress.
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Flashcard 51
Q: What are the four parts of the parietal pleura?
A:
Costal, diaphragmatic, mediastinal, and cervical pleura.
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Flashcard 52
Q: What innervates the visceral pleura?
A:
Vagus nerve (visceral sensory only).
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Flashcard 53
Q: What innervates the parietal pleura?
A: .
Intercostal nerves and the phrenic nerve
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Flashcard 54
Q: What are the costodiaphragmatic recesses?
A:
Potential spaces between diaphragm and ribs where fluid may accumulate.
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Flashcard 55
Q: What is pleuritis and how does it present?
A:
Inflammation of pleura; causes sharp chest pain, worsened by breathing.
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Flashcard 56
Q: What is a pneumothorax?
A:
Air in the pleural cavity, may compress the lung and mediastinum.
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Flashcard 57
Q: What is the difference between hydrothorax and hemothorax?
A:
Hydrothorax = serous fluid; Hemothorax = blood in pleural space.
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Flashcard 58
Q: What is chylothorax?
A:
Accumulation of lymph (chyle) in pleural space; milky fluid.
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Flashcard 59
Q: What does RALS stand for in lung anatomy?
A:
Right lung: artery Anterior to bronchus; Left lung: artery Superior to bronchus.
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Flashcard 60
Q: How many lobes does the right lung have?
A:
Three – superior, middle, and inferior.
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Flashcard 61
Q: How many lobes does the left lung have?
A:
Two – superior and inferior.
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Flashcard 62
Q: What is the lingula of the lung?
A:
A tongue-like projection of the left upper lobe, homologous to the right middle lobe.
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Flashcard 63
Q: What structures pass through the hilum of the lung?
A:
Bronchi, pulmonary arteries and veins, bronchial vessels, nerves, and lymphatics.
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Flashcard 64
Q: What is a bronchopulmonary segment?
A:
A functionally and anatomically distinct unit of a lung, supplied by a segmental bronchus and artery.
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Flashcard 65
Q: Why are bronchopulmonary segments important in surgery?
A:
They are independently resectable.
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Flashcard 66
Q: Which bronchopulmonary segment is most often involved in aspiration while upright?
A:
Posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe.
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Flashcard 67
Q: Which bronchopulmonary segment is most often involved in aspiration when supine?
A:
Superior segment of the right lower lobe.
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Flashcard 68
Q: Describe the airway branching in the lungs.
A:
Trachea → Main bronchi → Lobar bronchi → Segmental bronchi → Bronchioles → Terminal bronchioles → Respiratory bronchioles → Alveolar ducts → Alveolar sacs.
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Flashcard 69
Q: What is the function of the conducting zone?
A:
To filter, warm, and moisten air; no gas exchange occurs.
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Flashcard 70
Q: What is the function of the respiratory zone?
A:
Gas exchange between air and blood.
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Flashcard 71
Q: What type of epithelium lines the bronchi?
A:
Pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium.
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Flashcard 72
Q: Where does airway cartilage end?
A:
At the end of the bronchi; bronchioles have no cartilage.
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Flashcard 73
Q: Where does cilia stop in the respiratory tract?
A
At the start of the respiratory bronchioles.
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Flashcard 74
Q: What is the role of alveolar macrophages?
A:
To clear debris and participate in immune defense in the alveoli.
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Flashcard 75
Q: What supplies blood to the bronchial tree and visceral pleura?
A:
Bronchial arteries (from thoracic aorta).
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Flashcard 76
Q: What is the primary muscle for breathing?
A:
The diaphragm.
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Flashcard 77
Q: What spinal nerves form the phrenic nerve?
A:
C3, C4, and C5 (“C3, 4, 5 keeps the diaphragm alive”).
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Flashcard 78
Q: What happens if the phrenic nerve is injured?
A:
Ipsilateral diaphragmatic paralysis; elevation of the affected hemidiaphragm on X-ray.
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Flashcard 79
Q: What are the openings in the diaphragm and their vertebral levels?
A:
T8 – IVC, T10 – Esophagus, T12 – Aorta.
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Flashcard 80
Q: What is Valsalva maneuver?
A:
Forceful exhalation against a closed airway, increasing intrathoracic pressure.
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Flashcard 81
Q: What are hiccups caused by?
A:
Involuntary, spasmodic contractions of the diaphragm.
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Flashcard 82
Q: When does lung development begin?
A:
At 4 weeks gestation.
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Flashcard 83
Q: What are the five stages of lung development?
A:
Embryonic, pseudoglandular, canalicular, saccular, alveolar.
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Flashcard 84
Q: What happens during the embryonic stage (weeks 4–7)?
A:
Formation of lung bud, trachea, bronchi.
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Flashcard 85
Q: What condition results from failure of tracheoesophageal septum formation?
A:
Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), often with esophageal atresia
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Flashcard 86
Q: What are symptoms of TEF in newborns?
A:
Drooling, choking, cyanosis, inability to pass NG tube.
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Flashcard 87
Q: What is pulmonary sequestration?
A:
Nonfunctional lung tissue with no connection to the bronchial tree, supplied by systemic circulation.
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Flashcard 88
Q: What characterizes the pseudoglandular stage (weeks 5–17)?
A:
Formation of terminal bronchioles; no respiratory bronchioles yet.
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Flashcard 89
Q: What happens if bronchial budding is abnormal in the pseudoglandular stage?
A:
Bronchogenic cysts may form.
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Flashcard 91
Q: When is respiration possible during fetal life?
A:
Around week 25.
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Q: What is canalicular stage (weeks 16–25) marked by?
A:
Development of respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, and vascularization.
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Q: What happens in the saccular stage (week 24 to birth)?
A:
Terminal sacs form; type I and II pneumocytes develop.
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Flashcard 93
Q: What do type II pneumocytes produce?
A:
Surfactant.
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Flashcard 94
Q: What is the role of surfactant?
A:
Reduces surface tension, prevents alveolar collapse, increases lung compliance.
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Flashcard 95
Q: When does surfactant production begin and mature?
A
Begins ~20 weeks, matures ~35 weeks gestation
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Flashcard 96
Q: What hormone enhances fetal surfactant production?
A:
Glucocorticoids.
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Flashcard 97
Q: What happens in the alveolar stage (week 36–8 years)?
A:
Alveolar septation increases the number of alveoli.
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Flashcard 98
Q: What is bronchopulmonary dysplasia?
A:
Chronic lung disease in preterm infants due to disrupted alveolarization.
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Flashcard 99
Q: What is neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)?
A:
Caused by surfactant deficiency; alveoli collapse and fill with proteinaceous fluid.
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Flashcard 100
Q: What are risk factors for RDS?
A:
Prematurity, maternal diabetes, C-section (no stress-induced steroids).v
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Flashcard 101
Q: What is a screening test for fetal lung maturity?
A:
Lecithin:sphingomyelin (L:S) ratio ≥ 2 in amniotic fluid.
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Flashcard 102
Q: What are complications of RDS?
A:
PDA, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage, bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
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Flashcard 103
Q: What is the germinal matrix and why is it important?
A:
Site of neuronal precursor proliferation; prone to hemorrhage in preterm infants.
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Flashcard 104
Q: What reduces the risk of germinal matrix hemorrhage in preterm infants?
A:
Antenatal corticosteroids.
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Flashcard 105
Q: What is Potter syndrome and what causes it?
A:
A fatal condition due to oligohydramnios; leads to pulmonary hypoplasia, limb deformities, and facial anomalies.
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Flashcard 106
Q: What causes aspiration pneumonia?
A
Inhalation of oropharyngeal contents, often into the right lung due to its wider and more vertical main bronchus.
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Flashcard 107
Q: Which lung lobe is most commonly affected by aspiration when upright?
A:
Right lower lobe, especially the posterior basal segment.
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Flashcard 108
Q: Which lobe is most affected when aspiration occurs in a supine position?
A:
Superior segment of the right lower lobe.
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Flashcard 109
Q: What happens if a person aspirates while lying on their left side?
A:
Material most often enters the inferior lingular segment of the left upper lobe.
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Flashcard 110
Q: What is thoracentesis and where is the needle inserted?
A:
A procedure to remove pleural fluid; needle is inserted just superior to the rib to avoid the neurovascular bundle.
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Flashcard 111
Q: What is empyema?
A:
Pus in the pleural space, often due to infection.
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Flashcard 112
Q: What is fibrothorax?
A:
Thick fibrous tissue in the pleural cavity causing lung restriction.
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Flashcard 113
Q: What is a hemothorax?
A:
Accumulation of blood in the pleural space.
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Flashcard 114
Q: What causes chylothorax?
A: .
Leakage of lymph into the pleural space; often due to trauma or malignancy
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Flashcard 115
Q: What is the classic appearance of chylothorax fluid?
A:
Milky white due to high triglyceride content.
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Flashcard 116
Q: What are pseudochylous effusions?
A:
Milky pleural fluid with high cholesterol; often in rheumatoid lung disease.
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Flashcard 117
Q: What condition causes a glassy membrane appearance in alveoli on histology?
A:
Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (hyaline membrane disease).
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Flashcard 118
Q: What is Ortner syndrome?
A:
Hoarseness due to compression of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve by an enlarged left atrium.
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Flashcard 119
Q: What causes retinopathy of prematurity in neonates?
A:
Oxygen therapy causing abnormal blood vessel growth in the retina.
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Flashcard 120
Q: What is the only laryngeal muscle innervated by the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve?
A:
Cricothyroid muscle.
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Flashcard 121
Q: What structure is incised during a cricothyrotomy?
A:
The cricothyroid membrane.
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Flashcard 122
Q: What happens in laryngeal atresia?
A:
Failure of recanalization of the larynx, causing airway obstruction.
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Flashcard 123
Q: What is a laryngeal web?
A:
Incomplete recanalization of the larynx, partially obstructing the airway.
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Flashcard 124
Q: What is congenital diaphragmatic hernia (Bochdalek)?
A:
Herniation of abdominal contents through a posterolateral diaphragm defect; leads to pulmonary hypoplasia.
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Flashcard 125
Q: What causes pulmonary hypoplasia?
A:
Conditions like oligohydramnios, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, and right-sided heart defects.
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Flashcard 126
Q: What causes neonatal RDS in infants of diabetic mothers?
A:
Fetal hyperinsulinemia inhibits surfactant production.
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Flashcard 127
Q: What fetal condition leads to Potter sequence?
A:
Oligohydramnios from bilateral renal agenesis or obstructive uropathy.
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Flashcard 128
Q: What are the components of the Potter sequence?
A:
Pulmonary hypoplasia, limb deformities, flat face, low-set ears.
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Flashcard 129
Q: What structures pass through the diaphragm at T8, T10, and T12?
A:
T8 – IVC, T10 – Esophagus, T12 – Aorta (mnemonic: "I ate ten eggs at twelve").
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Flashcard 130
Q: Where does the trachea bifurcate?
A:
At the level of the T4 vertebra (sternal angle).
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Flashcard 131
Q: Which bronchial veins drain the lungs?
A:
Right – azygos vein; Left – accessory hemiazygos vein.
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Flashcard 132
Q: What embryologic arches form the larynx?
A:
The 4th and 6th pharyngeal arches.
117
What is the innervation pattern from these arches?
4th arch – superior laryngeal nerve; 6th arch – recurrent laryngeal nerve.
118
What is the sensory innervation of the vocal cords?
Above cords: internal laryngeal nerve; Below cords: recurrent laryngeal nerve.
119
What is the anatomical basis of hoarseness from thyroid surgery?
Injury to recurrent laryngeal nerve near the thyroid gland
