Respiration + overview Flashcards
What is pulmonary respiration?
Ventilation + gas exchange.
What are the main functions of respiration?
- Allow for pulmonary ventilation which is the inflow + outflow of air between the atmosphere + lung alveoli.
- Diffusion of O2 + CO2 between the alveoli + blood.
- Transport of O2 + CO2 in the blood + body fluids to and from tissue cells.
- Regulating of ventilation.
What are the other functions of the respiratory system?
- Blood pH balance.
- Removal of small air emboli.
- Immune functions.
- Hormone regulation.
Describe the structure of alveoli.
- Alveoli ducts are smooth muscle + connective tissue that open alveolar sacs.
- Alveolar sacs are clusters of alveoli.
- Alveolar pores connect alveoli which help maintain pressure.
What is the purpose of having such high quantities of alveoli?
- They maximise the surface area for diffusion.
- Therefore gas exchange.
What is the cardiac notch and where is it located?
- A space dedicated for the heart.
- Located at the left lung.
What are the components which make up the pleural sac?
- Visceral pleura.
- Pleural cavity.
- Parietal pleura.
What is the visercal pleura?
Incases the lungs.
What is the parietal pleura?
An external covering of the lungs.
What is the sole purpose of having this pleural sac?
- Serous fluid within the pleural cavity.
- Between visceral + partial pleura.
- Facilitates lung compliance which is an important mechanism in terms of respiration.
What structures of the lungs make up the conducting zone?
- Trachea.
- Bronchi.
- Bronchioles.
- Terminal bronchioles.
What structures make up the respiratory zone?
- Respiratory bronchioles.
- Alveolar ducts.
- Alveolar sacs.
What is the function of structures within the conducting zone?
- Air passage in + out of the lungs.
- Removal of debris + pathogens.
- Warming + humidification.
What is the function of structures within the respiratory zone?
All about gas exchange.
