semester 2: L1 - Respiratory system anatomy and pathology

Question 1

what’s the function fo the respiratory system?

Answer 1

Provide large surface area for gas exchange
Lungs & circulation evolved to overcome problems of diffusion - they work together to supply O2 and remove CO2
Acid-base balance
Speech, singing, coughing, sighing, clarinet etc

Question 2

what is diffusion?

Answer 2

high to low concentration

Question 3

How long does it take to diffuse across a synapse (0.1 um)?

Answer 3

5 us

Question 4

How long does it take to diffuse across a cell (10 um)?

Answer 4

50 ms

Question 5

How long does it take to diffuse across a small gap (1cm)?

Answer 5

13 hours

Question 6

what’s involved in the human respiratory system?

Answer 6

nasal passage 
oral cavity 
pharynx 
larynx 
trachea
bronchi 
lung 
heart 
ribs

Question 7

what does the upper airway do?

Answer 7

filter out dust from the air and acts as a heat exchanger warming the air as it enters the lungs

Question 8

whats the nasal turbinates?

Answer 8

bones that help to circulate air within the nasal cavity to help with filtering/heating and humidifying

Question 9

what’s the voice box include?

Answer 9

Epiglottis and Larynx

Question 10

what are the conducting airways?

Answer 10

Tracheobronchial tree

Question 11

what is the respiratory tract lined with?

Answer 11

mucus covered ciliary epithelium

Question 12

what does the cilia beat do?

Answer 12

allowed mucus to be carried up removing attached particles

Question 13

what impairs ciliary beating?

Answer 13

cigarette smoke

Question 14

how many alveoli are their?

Answer 14

300

Question 15

How big is alveoli?

Answer 15

approx 250 µm diameter

Question 16

what does the alveoli contain?

Answer 16

type I alveolar

type II alveolar (secretory) alveolar macrophage capillary endothelium