RespiratorySystem

Gas exchange

The process of transferring oxygen and carbon dioxide between the alveoli and the blood.

Respiratory system

The organ system responsible for the intake of oxygen and expulsion of carbon dioxide.

Olfaction

The sense of smell, which is a function of the respiratory system.

Conducting zone

The part of the respiratory system that includes airways through which air travels but where no gas exchange occurs.

Respiratory zone

The part of the respiratory system where gas exchange occurs, including the alveoli.

Epiglottis

A flap of cartilage that covers the larynx during swallowing to prevent food from entering the airway.

Vocal cords

Structures in the larynx that vibrate to produce sound.

Alveoli

Tiny air sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs.

Tidal Volume (TV)

The amount of air that enters or exits the lungs during a normal, quiet breath.

Minute ventilation (MV)

The total volume of air that enters the lungs per minute.

Dalton's Law

States that each gas in a mixture exerts its own partial pressure independent of other gases.

Henry's Law

Describes how the amount of gas dissolved in a liquid is proportional to its partial pressure.

Pulmonary capillaries

Small blood vessels in the lungs where gas exchange with alveoli takes place.

Carbonic anhydrase

An enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into bicarbonate in red blood cells.

Hyperventilation

An increase in the rate of ventilation above that which is necessary to maintain normal blood gas concentrations.

Hypoventilation

A decrease in the rate of ventilation below that which is necessary to maintain normal blood gas concentrations.

Apnea

A temporary cessation of breathing.

Fetal hemoglobin

A form of hemoglobin in fetal blood that has a higher affinity for oxygen than adult hemoglobin.

Surfactant

A substance secreted by Type II alveolar cells that reduces surface tension in the alveoli.

Bronchodilation

The widening of the air passages in the respiratory system.

Bronchoconstriction

The narrowing of the air passages in the respiratory system.