Structure and Function of the Pulmonary System Flashcards
What is the purpose of the respiratory tract
O2 inhaled into lungs
O2 in blood
Remove carbon dioxide form blood
Carbon dioxide exhaled out of lungs
How lobes do the left and right lungs have
2 and 3
What does the nasal cavity do
WARMING, MOISTENING or air, foreign material TRAPPED
What’s in the nasopharynx
Tonsils
What’s in the oropharynx
Epiglottis to the larynx
Air and food
What is an example of an epiglottis emergency
When it’s SWOLLEN, CLOSES over GLOTTIS to prevent aspiration
What’s in the larynx
Vocal cords
What does the trachea have
Cartilage
What does the alveoli have
SURFACTANT to reduce surface TESNSION and maintain INFLATION
What can happen when the surfactant is not sufficient
Alveolar COLLAPSE, decreased lung EXPANSION, increased WORK of breathing, GAS-EXCHANGE abnormalitites
What type of vital signs will you see when the surfactant is not sufficient
Fast and shallow breahting, increased HR and RR, decreased O2, “I can’t breathe”
What is the chest wall composed of
Skin, ribs, and intercostal muschles
Tell me about the thoracic cavity
ENCASES the LUNG, PLEURA FOLDS over itself
Tell me about the pleural space
50 ml of FLUID, NEGATIVE PRESSURE
What does cilia do
PROPELS particles to be sent out
What does smoking do to cilia
stiffens so it’s hard to get stuff out
What do the irritant receptors do in the nares and trachea
Triggers sneezing and coughing
What is the purposes of the pulmonary circulation
Gas EXCHANGE, delivers NUTRIENTS, RESERVOIR for the LEFT VENTRICLE, FILTERS
What does airflow depend on
PRESSURE gradient
How does air move
High pressure to low pressure
What is BOyle’s law
As the thoracic cavity decreases the pressure inside increases
What does the ability to create pressure depend on
The elasticity of tissues and surface tension
Where are the breathing control centers
Medulla and pons
What do the central chemoreceptors in the medulla respond to
INCREASE in CO2, or DECREASE in pH (acidic)
