Respiratory system

What is the role of oxygen in cellular respiration?

Oxygen is essential for making ATP during cellular respiration.

What happens to oxygen concentration and pressure at lower altitudes?

Higher pressure and more oxygen concentration are found at lower altitudes.

What is ventilation in terms of respiration?

External respiration between the environment and blood requiring movement of air or water across respiratory organs.

Define perfusion in relation to respiration.

Internal respiration between blood and tissues requiring the pumping of blood through capillaries.

What are the factors that increase gas exchange?

Thin respiratory surface, increased surface area of respiratory surface, moderate moisture, and increased movement of material across respiratory surface.

Which muscles contract during inhalation?

External intercostals and diaphragm contract.

What occurs during exhalation?

Internal intercostals contract, abdominal organs recoil to push diaphragm up, creating positive pressure to force air out.

How do the lungs respond during exercise?

Lungs expand more to increase oxygen intake.

What is the role of the pectoralis minor during inhalation?

Pectoralis minor pulls ribs upward.

How does the larynx help regulate air volume?

It connects the pharynx to the trachea, regulating the volume of air that enters and leaves the lungs.

What happens to the larynx during swallowing?

The pharynx and larynx lift upward, allowing the pharynx to expand while the epiglottis swings down to close the trachea.

What is the function of the trachea?

Mucus and cilia trap particles and move them up to the pharynx.

How do the right and left lungs differ in structure?

The right lung is shorter and wider with 3 lobes, while the left lung is smaller with 2 lobes due to the cardiac notch.

Differentiate between bronchi and bronchioles.

Bronchi are the main airways surrounded by cartilage, while bronchioles are smaller airways surrounded by muscle.

Where does gas exchange occur in the lungs?

Gas exchange occurs in the alveoli.

What types of cells are found in the alveoli?

Type 1 cells for gas exchange, Type 2 cells that produce surfactants, and macrophages that remove debris and pathogens.

Describe the path of air from the nose to the alveoli.

Nostrils, nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, primary bronchi, bronchi branches, bronchioles, alveoli.

How are gases exchanged in the alveoli?

Gases are exchanged through simple diffusion; oxygen moves into capillaries and carbon dioxide moves into alveoli.

How is oxygen transported in the blood?

Oxygen binds to hemoglobin and moves through the body, exiting via diffusion along its partial pressure gradient.

What factors affect oxygen binding to hemoglobin?

Temperature, pH, and CO2 concentration.

How is carbon dioxide transported in the blood?

CO2 binds to globin in hemoglobin.

What is the function of carbonic anhydrase?

An enzyme that RBCs use to convert CO2 to carbonic acid (H2CO3).

What are the three main types of cells in the alveoli, and what are their roles?

Type 1 for gas exchange, Type 2 for surfactant production, and macrophages for debris removal.

What role do nasal conchae play in respiration?

They clean, warm, and humidify the air.

How does the cardiac notch affect the left lung?

It creates an indentation that allows space for the heart, making the left lung smaller.

What anatomical structure connects the pharynx to the trachea?

The larynx.

During inhalation, what happens to the diaphragm?

The diaphragm contracts to create a negative pressure for air intake.