Chapter 5 (7): respiratory system

Med terms

Respiratory system

Supplies blood with oxygen for transportation to the cells in all parts of the body. Also removes carbon dioxide and some water waste from the body.

Upper respiratory tract

The nose, mouth, pharynx, epiglottis, larynx, and trachea

Lower respiratory tract

The bronchial tree and lungs. protected by the Thoracic cavity, or thorax, also known as the rib cage.

Airway

upper respiratory tract and Bronchial tree of the lower respiratory tract are sometimes referred to as this

Nose, nasal cavity, nostrils

Air enters the body through, and passes through the, which is the interior portion of the nose. The external opening of the nose.

Nasal septum, septum

A wall of cartilage that divides the nose into two equal sections. A wall that separates two chambers.

Cilia

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

Mucous membranes

line the nose. these tissues also line the digestive, reproductive, and urinary systems and other parts of respiratory system.

Mucus

slippery secretion produced by the mucous membranes that protects and lubricates these tissue. in the nose it helps moisten, warm, and filter the air as it enters.

Mucous

The name of the tissue (mucous membrane)

Olfactory receptors

Nerve ending that act as the receptors for the sense of smell. also important to sense of taste. located in the mucous membrane in the upper part of nasal cavity.

Tonsils and adenoids

Part of the lymphatic system. They help protect the body from infection coming through the nose or the mouth.

Palatine tonsils

located at the back of the mouth

Nasopharyngeal tonsils (the adenoids)

Higher up, behind the nose and the roof of the mouth.

Paranasal sinuses

The air-filled cavities are lined with mucous membrane and are located in the bones of the skull. make the bones of the skull lighter, help produce sound, give resonance to the voice, and produce mucus for lubrication for the tissues of the nasal cavity.

Sinus

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

Frontal sinuses

located in the frontal bone just above the eyebrows. infection here can cause severe pain.

Sphenoid sinuses

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

Maxillary sinuses

The larges of the paranasal sinuses, located in maxillary bones under eyes. infection can cause pain the posterior maxillary teeth.

Ethmoid sinuses

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

Pharynx

also known as the throat, receives air after it passes through the nose or mouth, as well as food. (made up of three divisions)

Nasopharynx

Posterior to the nasal cavity, continues downward to behind the mouth. Only used by the respiratory system for the transport of air and opens into the oropharynx.

oropharynx

the portion that is visible when looking into the mouth. shared by the respiratory and digestive system and transports air, food, and fluids downward to the laryngopharynx.

Laryngopharynx

also shared by both the respiratory and digestive systems. 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, voice box

a triangular chamber located between the pharynx and the trachea.

Thyroid cartilage

The largest of nine cartilages in the larynx. when enlarged it projects from the front of the throat and is commonly known as the Adam’s apple.

Vocal cords (in larynx)

During breathing, cords are separated to let air pass. during speech, they close together, sound is produced as air is expelled from lungs, causes cords to vibrate against each other.

Epiglottis

a lid-like structure located at the base of the tongue, swings downward, closes off laryngopharynx so that food does not enter the trachea and the lungs.

Trachea

Transport air to and from lungs. also known as the windpipe, located in front of the esophagus. Held open by series of flexable c-shaped cartilage rings that make it possible for trachea to compress so that food can pass down the esophagus.

Bronchi, primary bronchi, bronchial tree

Two large tubes, branch out from the trachea and convey air into two lungs.

Bronchioles

Within the lung, each primary bronchus divides and subdivides into small branches of bronchi.

Alveoli, air sacs

small, grapelike clusters found at the end of each bronchiole. where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide take place.

pulmonary

Means relating to or affecting the lungs.

Surfactant

the alveoli produce a detergent-like substance. reduces the surface tension of the fluid in the lungs. makes the alveoli more stable so they do not collapse when someone exhales.

Lungs, lobe

essential organs of respiration, divided into lobes. a subdivision or part of an organ.

right lung

larger and has three lobes; the upper, middle, and lower.

Left lung

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

Mediastinum

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

Pleura

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

Parietal pleura (parietal)

Outer layer of the pleura. lines the walls of the thoracic cavity, covers the diaphragm, forms the sac containing each lung. is attached to the chest wall. ( means relating to the walls of a cavity)

Visceral pleura (visceral)

Inner layer of pleura that covers each lung, attached directly to the lungs. ( means relating to the internal organs)

Pleural cavity, pleural space

Thin fluid space between parietal and visceral pleural membranes. fluid acts as a lubricant, allowing membranes to slide easily over each other during respiration.

Diaphragm, thoracic diaphragm

Dome-shaped sheet of muscle that separates thoracic cavity from the abdomen. The contraction and relaxation of this muscle that makes breathing possible.

Phrenic nerves

Stimulate the diaphragm and cause it to contract.

Respiration, ventilation

Or breathing, the exchange of oxygen for carbon dioxide that is essential to life. ( another word for moving air in and out of the lungs)

Inhalation

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

Exhalation

Act of breathing out. as diaphragm relaxes, it moves upward, causing the thoracic cavity to become narrower. action creates positive pressure, forcing air out of the lungs.

External respiration

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

Internal respiration, cellular respiration

exchange of gases within the cells of the blood and tissues. oxygen passes from the bloodstream into the cells. cells give off the waste product carbon dioxide, which passes into the bloodstream. bloodstream transports carbon dioxide to the lungs, where it is expelled during exhalation.

Otolaryngologist, ENT

a physician with specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the head and neck.

Pulmonologist

a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorder of the respiratory system.

Respiratory therapist

licensed medical professional who specializes in treating patients who are having difficulty breathing, in hospital and outpatient settings.

Thoracic surgeon

performs operations on the organs inside the thorax, chest, including the heart, lungs, and esophagus.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Group of lung diseases in which the bronchial airflow is obstructed, making it difficult to breathe out. COPD, often caused by long-term smoking, generally permanent and progressive. most people suffer from two related conditions: chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Chronic bronchitis

disease in which the airways have become inflamed due to recurrent exposure to an inhaled irritant, usually cigarette smoke. increase in the number and size of mucus producing cells results in excessive mucus production and thickening of the walls of the air passages. causes coughing, difficulty getting air in and out of the lungs, risk of bacterial lung infections.

Emphysema

Progressive, long-term loss of lung function, usually due to smoking. Characterized by a decrease in the total number of alveoli, enlargement of the remaining alveoli, and the progressive destruction of the walls of these remaining alveoli.

Barrel chest

(during emphysema) as alveoli are destroyed, breathing becomes increasingly rapid, shallow, and difficult. in effort to compensate for the loss of capacity, lungs chronically overinflate, rib cage stays partially expanded all the time, resulting in a slightly rounded shape.

Asthma, (Asthma attack)

Chronic inflammatory disease of the bronchial tubes, often triggered by an allergic reaction. (Characterized by episodes of severe breathing difficulty, coughing, and wheezing. )

Bronchospasm

Contraction of the smooth muscle in the walls of the bronchi and bronchioles, tightening and squeezing the airway shut.

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction

narrowing of the airways that develops after 5 to 12 minutes of physical exertion, usually triggered by the inhalation of cold, dry air.

Upper respiratory infections, acute nasopharyngitis (common cold)

An upper respiratory infection can be caused by any one of 200 different viruses, most common is rhinovirus.

Allergic rhinitis, allergy

Allergic reaction to airborne allergens that caused an increased flow of mucus.

Nonallergic rhinitis

an inflammation of the lining of the nose caused by something other than an allergen, such as cold air, spicy food, medication.

Croup

acute respiratory infection in children and infants characterized by obstruction of the larynx, hoarseness, and swelling around the vocal cords resulting in barking cough and stridor.

stridor

harsh, high-pitched sound caused by a blockage present when breathing in.

Epistaxis, nosebleed

Bleeding from the nose that may be caused by dry air, injury medication to prevent flood clotting or high blood pressure.

Influenza, flu

Acute, highly contagious viral infection characterized by respiratory inflammation, fever chills, and muscle pain. spread by respiratory droplets and occurs commonly in epidemics during colder months.

Pertussis, whooping cough

contagious bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract. characterized by recurrent bouts of paroxysmal cough, followed by breathlessness and noisy inspiration.

Paroxysmal

Sudden or spasm-like.

Respiratory syncytial virus

common, highly contagious viral infection spread by respiratory droplets. mild and similar to common cold. could cause younger children to be hospitalized.

Bronchiolitis

inflammation of the bronchioles

Rhinorrhea, runny nose

the watery flow of mucus from the nose.

Sinusitis

Inflammation of the sinuses

Pharyngitis, sore throat

an inflammation of the pharynx. often a symptom of a cold, flu, sinus infection. caused by bacteria streptococcus also known as strep throat.

Laryngospasm

Sudden spasmodic closure of the larynx. Sometimes associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Aphonia

Loss of the ability of the larynx to produce normal speech sounds. patients with this can only whisper.

Dysphonia

difficulty in speaking, may include impairment in vocal quality, hoarseness, weakness, cracking of a boy’s voice during puberty

Laryngitis

inflammation of the larynx. also commonly used to describe voice loss caused by this inflammation.

Acute bronchitis, chest cold

Inflammation of the bronchi usually caused by viral infection. productive cough, shortness of breath, wheezing and low grade fever.

Productive cough

A cough that brings up mucus or phlegm.

Bronchiectasis

permanent thickening of the walls of the bronchi, caused by chronic infection and inflammation.

Bronchorrhea

Excessive discharge of watery mucus from the bronchi. often caused by chronic bronchitis or asthma.

Pleurisy, Pleuritis

An inflammation of the pleura, the membranes that cover the lungs and line the pleural cavity. causes pleurodynia, may result from trauma, tuberculosis, connective tissue disease, infection.

Pleurodynia

Sharp chest pain that occurs when inflamed pleural membranes rub against each other with each inhalation.

Pleural effusion

Excess accumulation of fluid in the pleural space produces a feeling of breathlessness because it prevents the lungs from fully expanding.

Effusion

The escape of fluid from blood or lymphatic vessels into the tissues or into a body cavity.

Pyothorax, pleural empyema

the presence of pus in the pleural cavity between the layers of the pleural membrane resulting from a bacterial infection.

Empyema

refers to a collection of pus in any body cavity.

Hemothorax

collection of blood in the pleural cavity. condition often results from chest trauma, stab wound , or can be caused by disease or surgery.

Pneumothorax

accumulation of air in the pleural space from pressure imbalance, causes lung to fully or partially collapse. can have external cause, stab wound through chest wall, or when there is a lung disease related rupture in the pleura that allows air to leak into the pleural space.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Lung condition usually caused by trauma, pneumonia, smoke or fumes, inhaled vomit, or sepsis. Life threatening condition, inflammation in the lungs and fluid in the alveoli lead to low levels of oxygen in the blood.

Sepsis

systemic bacterial infection.

Atelectasis, collapsed lung

the incomplete expansion of part or all of a lung, blockage of the air passages or pneumothorax.

Granuloma

General term, describe localized area of inflammation, usually in the lungs. Most commonly caused by infections such as tuberculosis.

Pulmonary edema (Edema)

Accumulation of fluid in lug tissues, especially the alveoli. Often a symptom of heart failure. ( Means swelling)

Pulmonary embolism

Sudden blockage of a pulmonary artery by foreign matter or by an embolus that has formed in the leg or pelvic region.

Tuberculosis (TB)

an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, usually attacks the lungs. Pleurisy and hemoptysis (coughing up blood) is a symptom of TB in the lungs. most common among those that have weak immune systems, AIDS. Healthy people can carry it without symptoms.

Latent

Present but not active.

Drug-resistant tuberculosis

can occur when prescribed drug regimen not strictly followed. does not destroy all bacteria.

Pneumonia (PNA)

Serious inflammation of the lungs, the alveoli and air passages fill with pus and other fluids. commonly caused by infection and often follows a cold, flu, chronic illness. Especially in the elderly. Weakens immune system and ability to fight off infection.