Chapter 16: Respiratory System Practice Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the anatomy, physiology, and mechanisms of the human respiratory system based on Chapter 16 lecture notes.

Respiration

The process consisting of tubes that filter incoming air and transport it into the microscopic alveoli where gases are exchanged.

Upper respiratory tract

A group of respiratory organs including the nose, nasal cavity, sinuses, and pharynx.

Lower respiratory tract

A group of respiratory organs including the larynx, trachea, bronchial tree, and lungs.

Nasal cavity

A space posterior to the nose that is divided medially by the nasal septum.

Nasal conchae

Structures that divide the nasal cavities into passageways and increase the surface area available to warm and filter incoming air.

Cilia

Microscopic structures that push particles trapped in mucus to the pharynx to be swallowed and destroyed by gastric juice in the stomach.

Paranasal sinuses

Air-filled spaces within the maxillary, frontal, ethmoid, and sphenoid bones that reduce the weight of the skull and serve as resonant chambers for the voice.

Pharynx

A common passageway for air and food divided into three regions: the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx.

Larynx

An enlargement in the airway superior to the trachea that helps keep particles out of the trachea and houses the vocal cords.

False vocal cords

The upper pair of folds inside the larynx that produce no sound.

Vocal cords

The lower pair of folds inside the larynx that produce sound.

Glottis

The triangular slit inside the larynx where air passes through.

Epiglottis

The structure that closes off the glottis when swallowing.

Trachea

A tube extending downward anterior to the esophagus supported by 20 incomplete cartilaginous rings.

Goblet cells

Cells in the inner wall of the trachea that produce mucus to trap incoming particles.

Bronchioles

The smallest branches of the bronchial tree that do not have cartilage in their walls.

Alveoli

Microscopic sacs where actual gas exchange takes place through epithelial cells.

Visceral pleura

A layer of serous membrane attached directly to the lung.

Parietal pleura

A layer of serous membrane that lines the thoracic cavity.

Inspiration

The process of air moving into the lungs, driven by atmospheric pressure and an increase in thoracic cavity size.

Surfactant

A substance that keeps the alveoli from sticking to each other.

Elastic recoil

The force responsible for expiration, resulting from lung and muscle tissues and surface tension within the alveoli.

Tidal volume (TV)

$560\,ml$; the volume of air moved in and out of the lungs during a normal respiratory cycle.

Inspiratory reserve volume (IRV)

$3,000\,mL$; the volume that can be inhaled during forced breathing in addition to tidal volume.

Expiratory reserve volume (ERV)

$1,100\,ml$; the volume that can be exhaled during forced breathing in addition to tidal volume.

Residual volume (RV)

$1,200\,mc$; the volume of air that remains in the lungs even after maximal expiration.

Vital capacity (VC)

$4,000\,mL$; the maximum volume of air that can be exhaled following maximal inhalation.

Total lung capacity (TLC)

The sum of the vital capacity plus the residual volume.

Respiratory center

Groups of neurons in the pons and medulla oblongata that control breathing.

Dorsal Respiratory Group

Part of the medullary rhythmicity area that controls the basic rhythm of breathing and sends signals to the diaphragm.

Ventral Respiratory Group

Part of the medullary rhythmicity area used only during forced breathing.

Pneumotaxic Area

The area in the pons that transmits signals to the dorsal respiratory group to control the rate of breathing.

Inflation reflex

A reflex triggered by the overstretching of the lungs that reduces the duration of inspiratory movements.

Partial pressure

The amount of pressure each gas exerts in a mixture, determined by its concentration.

Respiratory membrane

The structure consisting of alveolar epithelial cells, capillary endothelial cells, and fused basement membranes where gas exchange occurs.

Oxyhemoglobin

The unstable chemical formed when oxygen binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells.

Hypoxia

A deficiency of oxygen reaching the tissues.

Carbonic anhydrase

The enzyme in red blood cells that speeds the reaction between carbon dioxide and water to form carbonic acid.

Bicarbonate ions

The most common form in which carbon dioxide is transported in the blood.