Respiratory System

Question 1

What does the air we breathe consist of?

Answer 1

Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, trace gases, and oxygen (most valuable)

Question 2

In humans, what is the only means of obtaining oxygen?

Answer 2

Through the lungs

Question 3

What is breathing?

Answer 3

Involves the movement of air between the lungs and the external environment. The process’s involved in breathing include both inspiration and cellular respiration

Question 4

What is not breathing?

Answer 4

Yawning and hiccuping

Question 5

What is yawning?

Answer 5

Stretching of the facial muscles

Question 6

What is hiccuping?

Answer 6

Spasm of the diaphragm

Question 7

What is respiration?

Answer 7

Involves all processes related to the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide including breathing, gas exchange , and cellular respiration

Question 8

What is external respiration?

Answer 8

Involves the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air and the cells of the lungs

Question 9

What is internal respiration?

Answer 9

Involves the exchange of O2 and CO2 between blood and cells of the body

Question 10

What is cellular respiration?

Answer 10

The exchange and the use of oxygen to make energy, and as a byproduct CO2 is produced

Question 11

What is the role of the nasal cavity?

Answer 11

Filters the air with the help of cilia and mucous. It also moistens the air before it goes to the lungs

Question 12

What is the pharynx?

Answer 12

Opens from the nasal cavity and branches into two structures

Question 13

What is the esophagus?

Answer 13

Muscular tube that moves food to the stomach

Question 14

What is the trachea?

Answer 14

The windpipe which is supported by c-shaped cartilaginous rings and covered with ciliated cells and mucous that act as a secondary filter

Question 15

What is the epiglottis?

Answer 15

A flap of skin that covers the opening of the trachea to prevent food from entering the lungs while swallowing

Question 16

What is the larynx?

Answer 16

The voice box, composed of two thin sheets of elastic ligaments that vibrate as air is forced out of them. Also called the vocal chords

Question 17

What are bronchi?

Answer 17

Two tubes that branch from the trachea and carry air to the lungs

Question 18

What are bronchioles?

Answer 18

Smaller branches off the bronchi that become progressively smaller until they reach the alveoli

Question 19

What are alveoli?

Answer 19

Air sacs in the lung where gas exchange occurs

Question 20

What are alveoli covered with?

Answer 20

A slippery lipoprotein ion called a surfactant

Question 21

What does surfactant do?

Answer 21

Prevents the sacs from collapsing and sticking together

Question 22

What do gases do in the alveoli?

Answer 22

Diffuse in and out according to concentration

Question 23

What are five reasons that alveoli are a good site for gas exchange?

Answer 23

1. Thin (faster)
2. Moist (fluids move gases faster)
3. High surface area (more spots for gas exchange)
4. Warm (faster)
5. Vascular (surrounded with a capillary making it the only possible sight)

Question 24

What are pleural membranes?

Answer 24

Thin membranes surrounding the outer surface of the lungs. They are filled with fluid to reduce friction between the lungs and the chest cavity during inhalation

Question 25

What is the diaphragm?

Answer 25

A large sheet of muscle that separates the organs of the thoracic cavity from those of the abdominal cavity

Question 26

What happens to the diaphragm as the muscle contracts?

Answer 26

The diaphragm flattens decreasing pressure inside the chest cavity drawing air into the lungs

Question 27

What happens to the diaphragm when the muscle relaxes?

Answer 27

The muscle becomes dome shapes

Question 28

What are intercostal muscles?

Answer 28

Found between the ribs. As they contract the ribs are pulled outward and upward increasing the chest volume and contribute to inspiration

Question 29

What determines the movement of gases into and out of the lungs?

Answer 29

A pressure difference between the atmosphere and the chest cavity

Question 30

What is the relationship between pressure and volume?

Answer 30

They are inversely proportionate

Question 31

Which way does gas move?

Answer 31

From high pressure to low pressure

Question 32

What controls and regulates pressure inside the chest?

Answer 32

The diaphragm and intercostal muscles

Question 33

What are the two ways the muscles control and regulate pressure inside the chest?

Answer 33

Inhale and exhale

Question 34

What happens during an inhale?

Answer 34

The muscle contracts, the diaphragm flattens, ribcage lifts, increasing the chest volume, decreasing the pleural pressure; results in air moving into the lungs during inspiration; increased volume + decreased pressure

Question 35

What happens during an exhale?

Answer 35

The muscle relaxes, the diaphragm becomes dome shaped, ribcage falls, decreasing the chest volume and increasing pleural pressure; results in air moving out of the lungs during exhalation; decreased volume + increased pressure

Question 36

What does the diaphragm separate in order to regulate the pressure in the chest cavity?

Answer 36

The thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity

Question 37

During inspiration the intercostal muscles contract causing the ribs to move in which directions?

Answer 37

Up and out

Question 38

During inspiration the diaphragm contracts causing it to move in which direction?

Answer 38

Downwards

Question 39

During inspiration what happens to the volume of the chest cavity and lungs?

Answer 39

Increases

Question 40

During inspiration what happens to the pressure in the chest cavity?

Answer 40

Decreases; lower than the atmospheric pressure

Question 41

During inspiration in what way does the air move?

Answer 41

Air moves into the lungs

Question 42

During expiration the intercostal the intercostal muscles relax causing the ribs to move in which directions?

Answer 42

Down and in

Question 43

During expiration the diaphragm relaxes causing it to move in which direction?

Answer 43

Upwards/dome shaped

Question 44

During expiration what happens to the volume of the chest cavity and lungs?

Answer 44

Decreases

Question 45

During expiration what happens to the pressure in the chest cavity?

Answer 45

Increases; higher than the atmospheric pressure

Question 46

During expiration in what way does the air move?

Answer 46

Air moves out of the lungs

Question 47

What is the problem with a collapsed lung (stab wound)?

Answer 47

No pressure difference/equillibrium

Question 48

What are the effects of high altitudes?

Answer 48

There is a low atmospheric pressure (thin air) therefore less O2 available, more air will be taken in (if pressure is too low the O2 cannot pass into alveoli), lose conciousness

Question 49

Due to oxygen being only slightly soluble in the blood, what must it do in order to be transported?

Answer 49

Bind to hemoglobin (becomes oxyhemoglobin)

Question 50

How much oxygen can blood carry as oxyhemoglobin?

Answer 50

20mL/100mL of oxygen

Question 51

What does the amount of oxygen that combines with hemoglobin depend on?

Answer 51

The partial pressures of oxygen in the blood and in the tissues

Question 52

What percentage of oxygen is transported by oxyhemoglobin?

Answer 52

97%

Question 53

What percentage of oxygen is transported by plasma?

Answer 53

3%

Question 54

What percentage of CO2 is carried in the plasma?

Answer 54

9%

Question 55

What percentage of CO2 is carried as carbaminohemoglobin (HbCO2)?

Answer 55

27%

Question 56

What percentage of CO2 is carried as carbonic acid or bicarbonate?

Answer 56

64%

Question 57

What enzyme catalyzes this reaction?

Answer 57

Carbonic anhydrase

Question 58

What does this reaction do?

Answer 58

Decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in the plasma, thus increasing the rate of diffusion of carbon dioxide from the cells to the blood

Question 59

Once the blood is returned back to the lungs, what happens to the concentration of carbonic acid?

Answer 59

Becomes very high

Question 60

What does the high concentration of carbonic acid encourage?

Answer 60

The diffusion of carbon dioxide out of the blood into the lungs

Question 61

What happens to the oxygen in the alveoli when you inhale?

Answer 61

There is more oxygen in the alveoli than in the blood when you inhale

Question 62

What happens to the oxygen in the alveoli?

Answer 62

Diffuses into the blood across the alveolar membranes

Question 63

What transports the diffused oxygen?

Answer 63

In RBC's as oxyhemoglobin or through the plasma

Question 64

What happens to the oxyhemoglobin carried by the blood vessels?

Answer 64

Diffuses into cells at the capillary

Question 65

What happens to the carbon dioxide when you exhale?

Answer 65

There is more carbon dioxide in the blood than in the alveoli

Question 66

What happens to the carbon dioxide when you exhale?

Answer 66

The CO2 diffuses across the alveolar membranes into the alvoli

Question 67

What is the CO2 transported as?

Answer 67

Plasma, carbaminohemoglobin, or carbonic acid and bicarbonate

Question 68

Where do bicarbonate ions travel?

Answer 68

In the plasma

Question 69

What type of function is breathing?

Answer 69

An autonomic function

Question 70

What controls breathing?

Answer 70

Nerves from the medulla oblongata and the pons

Question 71

What detects the levels of carbon dioxide (acid) and oxygen in the blood?

Answer 71

Chemoreceptors

Question 72

What do chemoreceptors signal the brain to do?

Answer 72

Speed up (hyperventilate) or slow down (hypo-ventilate)

Question 73

What are the two types of chemoreceptors?

Answer 73

CO2 receptors and O2 receptors

Question 74

What are always looked at first?

Answer 74

CO2 receptors

Question 75

When are CO2 receptors activated?

Answer 75

When high levels of Co2 or H2CO3 (carbonic acid) are found in the blood

Question 76

When CO2 receptors are activated what do they do?

Answer 76

Send nerve impulses to the ribs and diaphragm to increase breathing movements (hyperventilation)

Question 77

Where are oxygen receptors found?

Answer 77

In the carotid and aortic bodies in arteries

Question 78

What do O2 receptors do if low levels of O2 are detected?

Answer 78

Send a message to increase big deep breaths (hypo-ventilation)

Question 79

What is the purpose of hyperventilation?

Answer 79

Gets rid of CO2

Question 80

What is the purpose of hypo-ventilation?

Answer 80

Gains back lots of O2

Question 81

What is spirometry?

Answer 81

Measuring lung volume

Question 82

What can be used to measure lung capacity?

Answer 82

A respirometer

Question 83

What is tidal volume?

Answer 83

The amount of air expired or inspired during normal breathing; about 500mL

Question 84

What is vital capacity?

Answer 84

The maximum volume of air that can be expired after maximum inspiration; about 4500mL

Question 85

What is residual volume?

Answer 85

The remaining volume of air that cannot be forcibly expired; about 1200mL

Question 86

Why is residual volume important?

Answer 86

Maintains breathing rates since this air is high in carbon dioxide

Question 87

What can the respiratory system be compared to?

Answer 87

A big tree; the trachea is the trunk, the bronchi are the branches, the bronchioles are even smaller branches, and the site of gas exchange is the alveoli or the leaves

Question 88

What is the order of the respiratory system during an inhale?

Answer 88

1. Nose 2. Pharynx 3. Epiglottis 4. Larynx 5. Trachea 6. Bronchi 7. Bronchioles 8. Alveoli

Question 89

What is the order of the respiratory system during an exhale?

Answer 89

1. Alveoli 2. Bronchioles 3. Bronchi 4. Trachea 5. Larynx 6. Epiglottis 7. Pharynx 8. Nose

Question 90

What causes oxygen to unbound from hemoglobin at capillaries and tissues?

Answer 90

The acidic environment that is around tissues, muscles, organs, etc.