TBL Knowledge Flashcards
What is the function of the conducting airways?
Passage of air into the body
What are the components of the conducting airways?
Nose, mouth, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, terminal bronchioles
What prevents the walls of the trachea/bronchi from collapsing?
Cartilage in the walls
What is the function of the respiratory airways?
Gaseous exchange
What are the components of the respiratory airways?
Respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, alveolar sacs
What does a single respiratory cycle consist of?
One inspiration and one expiration
Define ventilation
Drop in alveolar pressure causes bulk entry of air during inspiration
What are the pleural sacs and how are they involved in expansion of the lungs?
- Fluid filled sacs surrounding the lungs
- Inner membrane is attached to lung and outer membrane is attached to diaphragm and thoracic wall by connective tissue
- Contraction of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles pulls on the sacs and causes the lungs to expand
What makes up connective tissue?
Collagen and elastic fibres
What makes up the thoracic wall?
Spinal column, ribs and intercostal muscles
What are the additional functions of the conducting airways?
- Speech (larynx)
- Efficient O2/CO2 movement due to warming/moistening of air
- Infection defence (macrophages and mucus)
How does mucus production affect infection control?
- Epithelial cells secrete mucus to trap dust and bacteria
- Mucus wafted towards pharynx by cilia to be swallowed, destroying the pathogens
How does the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator affect mucus movement?
- Allows movement of Cl- out of the epithelial cells
- Watery fluid is secreted as a result which prevents mucus from becoming thick and sticky
What is Cystic Fibrosis?
- Defective CFTR channel
- Decreased fluid secretion results in mucus build up
- More susceptible to infections as pathogens are not removed
What is a pneumothorax?
Air enters the chest cavity due to a breakage in the pleural sac, external pressure causes lung to collapse and chest wall to expand
What adaptation prevents damage to both lungs at any one time?
Pleural cavities isolate each lung, damage to one side is contained
What disease could cause a spontaneous pneumothorax?
- Pneumonia
- Emphysema
How is a pneumothorax treated?
- Let body absorb air and monitor by x-ray
- Remove air from chest using a needle and tube
- Surgically repair lung
- Remove lung if damage is severe
Define:
- Tidal Volume
- Residual Volume
- Vital Capacity
- Tidal Volume: The amount of air inhaled/exhaled in a single breath
- Residual Volume: The amount of air left in the lungs after a forced exhalation
- Vital Capacity: Total vol. - Residual vol.
What is the approximate total volume/volume of inspiration?
- Total volume ~2.5L
- Volume of Inspiration ~0.5L
What are the two different ways of measuring ventilation and what are the equations?
What are the units?
- Minute Ventilation: Tidal vol. x Resp. rate
- Alveolar Ventilation: (Tidal vol. - Dead Space) x Resp. rate
- Units: ml/min
What volume of the airways in anatomical dead space?
About 150ml
Why are there two measurements for ventilation?
Difference between the two can highlight respiratory issues (e.g. air may not actually be reaching respiratory airways)
What are the different lung function tests?
- Spirometry
- Peak Flow