Vet Tech anatomy

what are the four structures of the Upper respiratory tract

Nose/Nasal cavity

Paranasal sinuses

Nasopharynx

Larynx

what are the Upper respiratory structures functions?

• air passage for breathing

• warms, humidifies and filters air

• smell (olfaction)

• Sound (phonation)

• Heat exchange (panting in dogs)

what are the functions of the nose?

• respiration: air goes in (oxygen) air out in co2

• heat transfer: warms and humidifes air

• Filtration: traps dust and poolen in mucous

• Olfaction: smell and pheromones

• behavioral: Digging in pigs, nuzzeling in dogs and grasping in horses

what is the function of the nasal septum?

seperates left and right side of the nose

What parts make up the nasal conchae?

• dorsal, on the top, its function is to warm and humidify air

• ventral, is large and has thight folds, traps particles

• middle, small, and connects to the sinuses

• ethmoidal, on the back of the nose, smell(olfaction)

what are meati and where are they?

they are spaces between the conchae

• dorsal, leads to the smell area

• middle:connect to sinuses

• ventral, main airway to the lungs

• common, next to nasal septum

what is the nasal mucosa made up of?

ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium

what are the components of the nasal mucosa?

• goblet cells: make mucosa

• lamina propria: blood vessels(warm air), glands(moisture), nerves (sneezing)

What is the vomeronasal organ (Jackobsen organ)?

Is for the detection of pheromones, can only be found in carnivores and ungulates, not in humans

flehmen response: lip curl in horses, cats and goats

What are the paronasal sinuses and their functions?

They are hollow spaces in the skull and they are lined with respiratory mucosa

• lighten the skull

• protect the slkull

• warm and humidify air

major sinuses: maxillary and frontal

what makes up the Larynx? and what is the function

• epiglottis

• arytenoids (vocal cords)

• Thyroids

• cricoid

function:

• protects the airway

• vocalization

• regulates airflow

Why are horses obligate nasal breathers?

Long soft palate reaches the larynx.

What structure traps foreign particles in the nasal cavity, and what moves them to the throat?

Mucus (from goblet cells) traps particles; cilia waft them to the pharynx

What is the nasal planum? Give two features.

The hairless, keratinized apex of the nose; moistened by glands, pigmentation matches coat (pale noses are cancer-prone).

What are the nasal conchae (turbinates)?

Scroll-like bones covered in vascular mucosa that increase surface area to warm, humidify, and filter air.

Why are a horse’s nasal meati wider than a dog’s?

Horses are obligate nasal breathers and need larger air passages.

in cattle, why must you be careful during dehorning?

The frontal sinus extends into the horn process – dehorning can open the sinus.

What respiratory problem can occur in brachycephalic dogs (e.g., bulldogs) due to the soft palate?

Elongated soft palate – blocks the airway, causing respiratory distress.

What structure in horses is an expansion of the Eustachian tube?

Name two functions of the guttural pouches.

Guttural pouches (auditory tube diverticulum).

Cool blood going to the brain; equalize air pressure (Eustachian tube function).

What is the clinical term for a nosebleed, and why does the nose bleed easily?

Epistaxis; the nasal mucosa is highly vascular (many blood vessels for warming air).

What type of epithelium lines the nasal vestibule

Stratified squamous epithelium (for protection against abrasion).

What is the nasal diverticulum in a horse

A “false nostril” – a dorsal blind nasal pouch formed by the alar fold; supported by alar nasal cartilage.

What is the mucocutaneous junction?

The point inside the nasal cavity where stratified squamous epithelium changes to ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium.

Where is the vomeronasal organ located?

In the rostral base of the nasal septum, enclosed in cartilage.

What is the function of the auditory (Eustachian) tubes?

Equalize air pressure between the middle ear and nasopharynx