Respiratory Flashcards
(128 cards)
Respiration definition
The metabolic respiration of oxygen by cells and the process by which gaseous exchange occurs between an organism and its environment
Upper airway ends at…
larynx
Lower airway starts at….
trachea
Structures of the chest wall in to out
lung, visceral pleura, pleural cavity, parietal pleura, chest wall
What is the pleural cavity filled with?
Intrapleural fluid
What lines the surface of the lung?
visceral pleura
What does the visceral pleura line?
lung
What lines the surface of the chest wall?
parietal pleura
What does the parietal pleura line?
chest wall
What does the high branching of bronchi cause?
Large surface area for gas exchange and therefore greater rate of diffusion and huge number of alveoli respirating
Is the chest wall recoil tendency inwards or outwards?
Outwards
Is the lung elastic recoil tendency inwards or outwards?
Inwards (collapse)
What is “negative pressure”
A suction pressure due to chest wall expansion, increase in pressure of intrapleural fluid and therefore suctions the visceral pleura to expand the lungs
What is “negative pressure”
A suction pressure due to opposite recoil forces causing adherence between the two pleura
Pip
Intrapleural pressure (relative to Patm) = -4mmHg
Patm
Atmospheric pressure at 760mmHg or 1013Pa
Palv
Alveolar pressure (relative to Patm) = 0 (same as atmospheric)
Ptp
Transpulmonary pressure: pressure difference between alveoli and the pleural cavity (force acting to expand the lungs)
Transpulmonary pressure
Force required to expand the lung, determined by the difference between alveolar pressure and elastic recoil of the chest wall
4mmHg (Palv - Pip)
Elastic recoil of chest wall
-4mmHg (Pip - Patm)
Alveolar Dead Space
Some alveoli are insufficiently perfused and don’t contribute to gas exchange
Physiological Dead Space
= anatomical dead space + alveolar dead space
Minute ventilation
total tidal volume into the lungs per minute (Tidal volume x frequency of breathing)
What is the approx volume of dead space?
150mL