Chapter 1–7 Key Vocabulary (Respiratory & Cardiovascular Topics)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on nasal function, airway anatomy, blood flow, lymphatics, and basic respiration mechanics.

Nose (nasal cavity)

Main functions are to filter large dust and debris, humidify the air, and heat the air before it reaches the lungs.

Mucus layer

Protective gel lining the airways that traps debris; moved upward by ciliary action to be expelled or swallowed.

Ciliary action

Movement of cilia in the mucus layer that creates the escalator effect, pushing mucus toward the pharynx for removal.

Alveoli

Tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange between air and blood occurs.

Epiglottis

Flap that prevents food and liquid from entering the trachea during swallowing.

Pleural friction rub

A sound produced when pleural surfaces rub together due to inflammation, often described as a wood-dock creak.

Cartilage rings in airways

Rings of cartilage in larger airways that keep them open; smaller airways rely on soft tissue, which can collapse without support.

Right atrium

Right-hearted chamber that receives deoxygenated blood from the body.

Right ventricle

Right-hearted chamber that pumps deoxygenated blood to the lungs via the pulmonary artery.

Pulmonary artery

Blood vessel that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs.

Pulmonary veins

Blood vessels that return oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium.

Deoxygenated blood

Blood that has released its oxygen to tissues and is returning to the heart.

Lymphatic system

Network that drains extracellular fluid and returns it to circulation; moves fluid via valves and muscle contractions, and has no heart-like pump.

Hemodynamics

Study of pressures and flows of blood within the circulatory system.

Negative intrathoracic pressure

Inhalation creates negative pressure in the thoracic cavity, drawing air into the lungs.

Diaphragm

Primary muscle of respiration; contraction enlarges the thoracic cavity to create negative pressure for inhalation.

Phrenic nerve (C3–C5)

Nerve roots that innervate the diaphragm; damage can halt spontaneous breathing.

Retractions

Visible use of neck and chest muscles to breathe, indicating respiratory distress.

Nose breathing in children

Children are primarily nose breathers; nasal flaring and visible effort indicate distress or difficulty breathing.

Sympathetic nervous system

Divides autonomic control that increases heart rate and contractility (fight-or-flight responses).

Parasympathetic nervous system

Divides autonomic control that slows heart rate and conserves energy (rest-and-digest).

Adrenaline (epinephrine) effect on the heart

Sympathetic hormone that increases heart rate and the force of contraction.

Pleural lubrication

Fluid between pleural layers that reduces friction during breathing motions.

Mechanical ventilation concepts

Inspiration is driven by negative pressure in natural breathing; exhalation is passive; mechanical ventilation often uses positive pressure to move air in and out.