Respiratory System Flashcards
(37 cards)
1
Q
Breathing
A
- 1 of 4 main respiration processes
- Inhalation → taking in air (mixture of gases including O2)
- Exhalation → expelling air (mixture of gases including waste gases)
2
Q
External Respiration
A
- 1 of 4 main respiration processes
- Gas exchange between air in lungs and blood in capillaries
3
Q
Internal Respiration
A
- 1 of 4 main respiration processes
- Gas exchange between blood and body cells
4
Q
Cellular Respiration
A
- 1 of 4 main respiration processes
- Use of oxygen to metabolize glucose and produce ATP energy + waste gases (CO2 and water vapor)
5
Q
How do single-celled organisms absorb O2 from the environment?
A
- Through diffusion
- No circulatory or pulmonary system needed, just a large + moist surface area
6
Q
What is diffusion?
A
- Process by which molecules/ions spread from areas of high concentration to areas of low concentration
- Movement doesn’t require energy input from organisms
7
Q
Nose and Nasal Cavity
A
- Nostrils form entrance to nasal passages (beginning of resp. tract)
- Mucous + tiny hairs in nasal cavity filter air (trap foreign particles)
- Air is warmed + moistened in nasal cavity
8
Q
Turbinate (bone)
A
- Found inside nasal cavity
- Long, narrow, curled bone shelf
- Warm + moisten air
- Filter out foreign particles
9
Q
Pharynx
A
- Crossroad between -
- Air moves from nasal cavity
10
Q
Epiglottis
A
- Flap of elastic cartilage at entrance of larynx
- Allow for air to pass when breathing
- Closed to allow food/drink into entrance of esophagus when swallowing
11
Q
Larynx
A
- Air from pharynx travels past epiglottis and enters larynx at top of trachea
- Made of different types of cartilage and muscle
- A.K.A voice box, has 2 vocal folds controlling pitch + volume of sound vibrations
12
Q
Vocal Chords
A
13
Q
Trachea
A
- A.K.A windpipe, carries air from larynx to bronchi
- Lined by tiny hairs (cilia) and mucous producing cells filter any foreign matter
- Walls may contain rings of cartilage, muscle and connective tissue, keeping it open at all times
14
Q
Bronchi
A
- Trachea branch into two primary bronchi: left + right bronchus
- Each bronchus leads to a lung
- Walls have cartilage bands + smooth muscle for support
- Lined with cilia and mucous-producing cells, moving mucus up to pharynx
- Important to immune system to trap foreign invaders
15
Q
Bronchioles
A
- Air passes through left/right bronchus and branches into many bronchioles
- Walls do not have cartilage rings but contain muscle
- Diameter ≤ 1 mm
- Both nervous and endocrine systems control diameter
- Lined with cilia and mucous-producing cells, moving mucus up to pharynx
- Important to immune system to trap foreign invaders
16
Q
Alveoli (plural)/Alveolus (singular)
A
- Bronchioles end in tiny sacs (alveoli)
- Each alveolus is wrapped in a capillary network
- Gas exchange between air + blood occurs across membranes, caused by concentration gradient
- Collapse + inflate during breathing
17
Q
Specialization of Alveoli
A
- Large surface area for diffusion
- Thin walls for short diffusion distance
- Easier to drop stuff off (closer distance)
- 1μm of space between alveoli wall and capillary - Surrounding net of pulmonary capillaries
- Pulmonary capillaries are tiny blood vessels that exchange gases w/ blood
18
Q
Pleural Membranes
A
- Thin membranes covering outside of lungs + inside of chest cavity
- Adhesion of membranes to each other causes lung volume to change w/ chest cavity volume
- Friction reduced by small amount of fluid between membranes
19
Q
Mechanisms of Breathing
A
- Breathing depends on air pressure difference between atmosphere and lungs
- Gases move from areas of high to low pressure
- Pressure of a gas is inversely proportional to volume
- As volume increases, pressure decreases
- Manipulating volume of lungs can affect air movement (in and out)
20
Q
Diaphragm
A
- A.K.A umbrella muscle
- Dome-shaped layer of muscle that sits under lungs
- Contracts to increase volume of lungs (+ thoracic cavity/chest)
- Relaxes to decrease volume of lungs (+ thoracic cavity/chest)
21
Q
Intercoastal Muscles
A
- Muscles between ribs, assist in breathing
- Contracts to increase volume of lungs (+ thoracic cavity)
- Relaxes to decrease volume of lungs (+ thoracic cavity)
22
Q
Inhalation
A
- Occurs when air rushes from area of higher pressure (in atmosphere) to lower pressure (in thoracic cavity)
- To decrease pressure in lungs:
- Diaphragm contracts, pulls down, increases volume
- Intercoastal muscles contract, pull ribs up and out, increase volume of rib cage
- Active phase of ventilation (result of muscle contraction)
23
Q
Exhalation
A
- Occurs when air rushes from area of higher pressure (in lungs) to area of lower pressure (in atmosphere)
- Volume of thoracic cavity is reduced by:
- Diaphragm relaxes, moves upwards
- Intercoastal muscles relaxing, move rib cage down and inwards
- Passive phase of ventilation (no muscle activity, result of natural elastic recoil of lung tissue)
24
Q
Gas Exchange
A
- Cellular respiration requires oxygen (O2) and produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor
- Driven by concentration gradients
- Blood coming from body tissues in high in CO2, air carried into lungs is high in O2
25
Diffusion of O2 and CO2
- O2 diffuses from higher concentrations (inside alveoli) to lower concentrations (in blood capillaries)
- CO2 diffuses from higher concentrations (in blood) to lower concentrations (inside alveoli)
26
Hemoglobin
- Protein that transports oxygen (and small amount of CO2 into bloodstream)
- Hemoglobin + iron increase oxygen carrying capability of blood
- Each heme group in iron binds with oxygen (makes oxyhemoglobin)
- O2 is given up to cells of body, used to fuel cellular respiration + produce energy
27
Tidal Volume
- Type of respiratory volume
- Amount of air exchanged w/ each normal breath
28
Inspiratory Reserve
- Type of respiratory volume
- Additional air that can be inhaled over and above the tidal volume
29
Expiratory Reserve
- Type of respiratory volume
- Extra air that can be forcibly exhaled in excess of the tidal volume
30
Vital Capacity
- Type of respiratory volume
- Maximum amount of air that can be forcibly exchanged
31
Residual Volume
- Type of respiratory volume
- Amount of air that remains in lungs after forceful expiration
32
Regulation of Breathing Movements
- Breathing movements controlled by nerves from medulla oblongata in brain
- Info about CO2 + O2 levels detected by chemoreceptors (detect chemicals)
- If there is an increase in CO2, the CO2 chemoreceptor inactivated in the medulla oblongata will increase breathing (expelling CO2)
- O2 chemoreceptors detect low O2 levels, fond in carotid + aortic arteries
- Increase in breathing = O2 levels rise, CO2 levels decrease
33
Bronchitis
- Disorder of the respiratory system
- Narrowing of air passages
- Inflammation of mucous lining in bronchial tubes
- Decreased air movement in bronchi
34
Asthma
- Disorder of the respiratory system
- Result of spasms in bronchi, leads to difficulty breathing
- Usually caused by allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity
- Can be caused by environmental + genetic factors
- Treated w/ steroid inhalers
35
Emphysema
- Disorder of the respiratory system
- Walls of alveoli inflame, destroy air sacs which eventually stretch + rupture
- Less SA for gas exchange = decreased O2 levels
- Hard to exhale
- Most common cause: smoking
36
Smoking + Lung Cancer
- Disorder of the respiratory system
- Cigarette smoke irritates cells, increasing mucous production
- Tar (in smoke) slows action of cilia, tar trapped in mucous
- Chemicals (in smoke) cause cancerous cells
- Symptoms: difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing
- Done in attempt to get dirt out
37
Pneumonia
- Disorder of the respiratory system
- Lung infection, alveoli fill w/ pus/fluid
- Makes gas exchange difficult, less space
