Med Term Nose

Nose combining form

nas/o

Nose function

Exchanges air during inhaling and exhaling; warms, moisturizes, and filters inhaled air.

Sinuses combining form

sinus/o

Sinuses function

Produce mucus for the nasal cavities, make bones of the skull lighter, aid in sound production.

Pharynx combining form

pharyng/o

Pharynx function

Transports air back and forth between the nose and the trachea.

Larynx combining form

laryng/o

Larynx function

Makes speech possible.

Epiglottis combining form

epiglott/o

Epiglottis function

Closes off the trachea during swallowing.

Trachea combining form

trache/o

Trachea function

Transports air back and forth between the pharynx and the bronchi.

Bronchi combining form

bronch/o, bronchi/o

Bronchi function

Transports air from the trachea into the lungs.

Alveoli combining form

alveol/o

Alveoli function

Air sacs that exchange gases with the pulmonary capillary blood.

Lungs combining form

pneum/o, pneumon/o, pulmon/o

Lungs function

Bring oxygen into the body, and remove carbon dioxide and some water waste from the body.

bronch/o, bronchi/o

bronchial tube, bronchus

laryng/o

larynx, throat

nas/o

nose

ox/i, ox/o, ox/y

oxygen

pharyng/o

throat, pharynx

phon/o

sound, voice

pleur/o

pleura, side of the body

-pnea

breathing

pneum/o, pneumon/o, pneu-

lung, air

pulm/o, pulmon/o

lung

sinus/o

sinus

somn/o

sleep

spir/o

to breathe

thorac/o, -thorax

chest, pleural cavity

trache/o, trachea

windpipe, trachea

functions of the respiratory system are to

Deliver air to the lungs; Convey oxygen from the inhaled air to the blood for delivery to the body cells; Expel the waste products (carbon dioxide and a small amount of water) returned to the lungs by the blood through exhalation; Produce the airflow through the larynx that makes speech possible

upper respiratory tract consists of

the nose (nostrils), mouth, pharynx, epiglottis, larynx, and trachea (Figure 7.2).

The lower respiratory tract consists of the

bronchial tree and lungs; these structures are located within and protected by the thoracic cavity (thoh-RAS-ick), or thorax, also known as the rib cage

Airway

upper respiratory tract and the bronchial tree of the lower respiratory tract

How does air enter the body

through the nose and passes through the nasal cavity, which is the interior portion of the nose

nostrils

the external openings of the nose

nasal septum (NAY-zal SEP-tum)

a wall of cartilage that divides the nose into two equal sections

Septum

a wall that separates two chambers

Cilia (SIL-ee-ah)

the thin hairs located just inside the nostrils, filter incoming air to remove debris

Mucous membranes (MYOU-kus)

line the nose; specialized tissues also line the digestive, reproductive, and urinary systems as well as other parts of the respiratory system

Mucus (MYOU-kus)

a slippery secretion produced by the mucous membranes that protects and lubricates these tissues

Mucus and the nose

mucus helps moisten, warm, and filter the air as it enters the nose

Mucous vs mucus

Mucous is the name of the tissue (which comes first, both anatomically and alphabetically); mucus is the secretion that flows from the tissue

olfactory receptors (ol-FACK-toh-ree)

nerve endings that act as the receptors for the sense of smell; important to the sense of taste; located in the mucous membrane in the upper part of the nasal cavity.

What are tonsils also called

palatine tonsils, are located at the back of the mouth

What are adenoids also called

nasopharyngeal tonsils; they are behind the nose and the roof of the mouth

paranasal sinuses

air-filled cavities lined with mucous membrane, are located in the bones of the skull (para- means near, nas means nose, and -al means pertaining to)

Sinus

can be a sac or cavity in any organ or tissue; however, the term sinus most commonly refers to the paranasal sinuses

Function of paranasal sinuses

make the bones of the skull lighter; to help produce sound by giving resonance to the voice; to produce mucus to provide lubrication for the tissues of the nasal cavity

How are the sinuses and nasal cavity connected

via short ducts

frontal sinuses

located in the frontal bone just above the eyebrows; infection here can cause severe pain in this area

sphenoid sinuses

located in the sphenoid bone behind the eye and under the pituitary gland, are close to the optic nerves; infection here can damage vision

maxillary sinuses

the largest of the paranasal sinuses, are located in the maxillary bones under the eyes; infection in these sinuses can cause pain in the posterior maxillary teeth

ethmoid sinuses

located in the ethmoid bones between the nose and the eyes, are irregularly shaped air cells that are separated from the orbital (eye) cavity by only a thin layer of bone

pharynx (FAR-inks)

commonly known as the throat, receives the air after it passes through the nose or mouth, as well as food

nasopharynx (nay-zoh-FAR-inks)

posterior to the nasal cavity and continues downward to behind the mouth (nas/o means nose, and -pharynx means throat); used only by the respiratory system for the transport of air and opens into the oropharynx

oropharynx (oh-roh-FAR-inks)

the portion that is visible when looking into the mouth (or/o means mouth, and -pharynx means throat); shared by the respiratory and digestive systems and transports air, food, and fluids downward to the laryngopharynx

laryngopharynx (lah-ring-goh-FAR-inks)

also shared by both the respiratory and digestive systems (laryng/o means larynx, and -pharynx means throat); Air, food, and fluids continue downward to the openings of the esophagus and trachea where air enters the trachea and food and fluids flow into the esophagus

larynx (LAR-inks)

known as the voice box, is a triangular chamber located between the pharynx and the trachea

The larynx is protected and supported by

a series of nine separate cartilages; thyroid cartilage is the largest, and when enlarged it projects from the front of the throat and is commonly known as the Adam's apple

Larynx and vocal cords

larynx contains them; During breathing, the cords are separated to let air pass. During speech, they close together, and sound is produced as air is expelled from the lungs, causing the cords to vibrate against each other

What is the risk of having the respiratory and digestive system share parts of the pharynx

During swallowing, there is the risk of a blocked airway or aspiration pneumonia caused by food or water going into the trachea and entering the lungs instead of going into the esophagus

Protective mechanism that prevents food from entering the trachea

soft palate, which is the muscular posterior portion of the roof of the mouth, moves up and backward during swallowing to close off the nasopharynx. This prevents food or liquid from going up into the nose; At the same time, the epiglottis (ep-ih-GLOT-is), a lid-like structure located at the base of the tongue, swings downward and closes off the laryngopharynx so that food does not enter the trachea and the lungs

Function of the trachea

transport air to and from the lungs; commonly known as the windpipe, is located directly in front of the esophagus

The trachea is held open by

a series of flexible C-shaped cartilage rings that make it possible for the trachea to compress so that food can pass down the esophagus

bronchi (BRONG-kee)

two large tubes, also known as primary bronchi, which branch out from the trachea and convey air into the two lungs (singular, bronchus)

Why is the bronchi referred to as the bronchial tree

Because of the similarity of these structures to an inverted tree

Bronchial tree and the lungs

Within the lung, each primary bronchus divides and subdivides into increasingly smaller bronchioles (BRONG-kee-ohlz), which are the smallest branches of the bronchi

Alveoli (al-VEE-oh-lye)

also known as air sacs, are very small, grapelike clusters found at the end of each bronchiole (singular, alveolus)

Function of alveoli

where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place; each lung contains millions of alveoli

Pulmonary (PULL-mah-nair-ee) means

relating to or affecting the lungs

What happens to the alveoli during respiration

they are filled with air from the bronchioles

What surrounds the alveoli

A network of microscopic pulmonary capillaries

The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air inside the alveoli and the blood in the pulmonary capillaries occurs where

through the thin, elastic walls of the alveoli

What do the alveoli produce

a detergent-like substance, known as a surfactant, which reduces the surface tension of the fluid in the lungs; makes the alveoli more stable so they do not collapse when an individual exhales; Premature babies often lack adequate surfactant

Lungs

the essential organs of respiration, are divided into lobes

lobe

a subdivision or part of an organ

right lung

larger and has three lobes; the upper, middle, and lower (or superior, middle, and inferior)

left lung

only two lobes, the upper and lower, due to space restrictions because the heart is located on that side of the body

mediastinum (mee-dee-as-TYE-num)

the middle section of the chest cavity and is located between the lungs; contains connective tissue and organs, including the heart and its veins and arteries, the esophagus, trachea, bronchi, thymus gland, and lymph nodes

pleura (PLOOR-ah)

a thin, moist, and slippery membrane that covers the outer surface of the lungs and lines the inner surface of the thoracic cavity

parietal pleura (pah-RYE-eh-tal)

the outer layer of the pleura; lines the walls of the thoracic cavity, covers the diaphragm, and forms the sac containing each lung; attached to the chest wall

Parietal means

relating to the walls of a cavity

visceral pleura (VIS-er-al)

the inner layer of pleura that covers each lung; attached directly to the lungs

Visceral means

relating to the internal organs

pleural cavity or pleural space

the thin, fluid-filled space between the parietal and visceral pleural membranes; fluid acts as a lubricant, allowing the membranes to slide easily over each other during respiration

Function of the pleura membrane

allows the lungs to move smoothly within the chest

diaphragm (DYE-ah-fram) or thoracic diaphragm

dome-shaped sheet of muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdomen; contraction and relaxation of this muscle that makes breathing possible

phrenic nerves (FREN-ick)

stimulate the diaphragm and cause it to contract

Another meaning for diaphragm refers to a

dividing structure, so the term is also used to describe a contraceptive device that separates the vagina from the cervix

Respiration or breathing

the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide that is essential to life; A single respiration, or breath, consists of one inhalation and one exhalation

Ventilation

another word for moving air in and out of the lungs

Inhalation and the diaphragm

during inhalation the diaphragm contracts and pulls downward, causing the thoracic cavity to expand

Exhalation and the diaphragm

during exhalation the diaphragm relaxes and moves upward, causing the thoracic cavity to biome narrower

Inhalation (in-hah-LAY-shun)

the act of taking in air as the diaphragm contracts and pulls downward; causes the thoracic cavity to expand; creates negative pressure within the thoracic cavity that draws air into the lungs

Exhalation (ecks-hah-LAY-shun)

the act of breathing out; as the diaphragm relaxes, it moves upward, causing the thoracic cavity to become narrower; this creates positive pressure, forcing air out of the lungs

External respiration

the act of bringing air in and out of the lungs from the outside environment and, in the process, exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide