Respiratory System Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to the respiratory system, based on lecture notes.

Inhalation

Breathing in; brings oxygen into the lungs.

Exhalation

Breathing out; removes carbon dioxide from the lungs.

Alveoli

Millions of tiny, thin-walled sacs in the lungs that create a large surface area for efficient gas exchange.

Pleural Membrane

Double membrane protecting each lung.

Parietal Pleura

Superficial layer lining the walls of the thoracic cavity.

Visceral Pleura

Thin layer covering the lungs themselves.

Pleural Fluid

Lubricant between the parietal and visceral pleura that ensures the lungs slide smoothly over the thoracic wall.

Hard Palate

Forms the roof of the mouth and floor of the nasal cavity; composed of palatine and maxillae bones.

Soft Palate

Muscular extension of the hard palate that hangs from the back of it, separating the oral cavity from the nasopharynx.

Nasal Septum

Divides the nasal cavity into left and right sections.

Nasal Conchae

Bony projections on the nasal cavity’s lateral walls increase surface area for cleaning and warming air.

Paranasal Sinuses

Small, irregular spaces filled with air and lined with mucous membranes that lighten the skull and give the voice resonance.

Frontal Sinus

Paranasal sinus located just above the eyebrows within the frontal bone.

Maxillary Sinus

The largest paranasal sinus, located within the maxillary bones below the orbits.

Sphenoid Sinus

Single, midline paranasal sinus located within the body of the sphenoid bone.

Ethmoid Air Cell

Multiple small spaces separated by thin bony walls in the lateral aspects of the ethmoid bone.

Pharynx

A tube formed by skeletal muscle and lined by mucous membrane, divided into the nasopharynx, oropharynx, and laryngopharynx.

Nasopharynx

Superior portion of the pharynx, serving only as an airway.

Pharyngeal Tonsil

Also called an adenoid, an aggregate of lymphoid reticular tissue in the superior portion of the nasopharynx.

Oropharynx

Middle portion of the pharynx, a passageway for both air and food.

Laryngopharynx

Inferior portion of the pharynx, continuous with the esophagus and larynx.

Larynx

Cartilaginous structure connecting the pharynx to the trachea, also known as the voice box.

Epiglottis

Flexible piece of elastic cartilage that covers the opening of the trachea during swallowing.

Glottis

Composed of the vestibular folds, the true vocal cords, and the space between these folds.

Vocal Folds

Also called vocal cords, vibrate to produce sound when air from the lungs is forced through them.

Trachea

Windpipe, extends from the larynx toward the lungs.

Carina

Raised structure at the bifurcation of the trachea that induces coughing if a foreign body is present.

Bronchi

Primary, secondary, and tertiary branches that provide a passageway for air to move in and out of each lung.

Bronchiole

Branches from the tertiary bronchi and lead to terminal bronchioles and structures of gas exchange.

Respiratory Bronchiole

The smallest type of bronchiole, which then leads to an alveolar duct, opening into a cluster of alveoli.

Alveolar Duct

A tube composed of smooth muscle and connective tissue, which opens into a cluster of alveoli.

Alveolus

One of the many small, grape-like sacs that are attached to the alveolar ducts; responsible for gas exchange.

Pulmonary ventilation

A general term used to describe breathing, involving inspiration (inhalation) and expiration (exhalation).

Pleura

Serous membrane that surrounds the lung. Consists of two layers: the visceral pleura and the parietal pleura.

Type I alveolar cell

A squamous epithelial cell of the alveoli, which constitute up to 97% of the alveolar surface area that is highly permeable to gases.

Type II alveolar cell

interspersed among the type I cells and secretes pulmonary surfactant, a substance composed of phospholipids and proteins that reduces the surface tension of the alveoli.

Alveolar macrophage

a phagocytic cell of the immune system that removes debris and pathogens that have reached the alveoli.