[PHYSIOLLAB] LE 2 lungs and renal

What can swelling of the tonsils interfere with?

Breathing, swallowing, and can lead to recurrent ear and sinus infections.

What is the larynx comprised of?

A short tube made of several cartilages connected by ligaments and muscles, containing the vocal folds.

What is the function of the epiglottis?

It acts as a switch between the larynx and esophagus, closing over the larynx during swallowing.

What are the components of the upper respiratory tract?

Nasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx.

What are the components of the lower respiratory tract?

Trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveolar ducts, and alveoli.

What happens to the larynx during breathing?

It allows air to travel through into the trachea.

What happens to the larynx during swallowing?

the epiglotties closes over the lanni so the food doesnt accidentally enter the windpipe and goes into the esophagus.

What is the trachea also known as?

The windpipe, linking the upper airways to the lungs.

What is the structure of the trachea?

It consists of C-shaped rings of cartilage connected by smooth muscle.

What are conchae in the nasal cavity?

Curved shelves of bone lined with ciliated respiratory epithelium that secretes mucus.

What is the function of the pharynx in the respiratory system?

It is a common pathway for the respiratory and digestive tracts, allowing both air and food to pass.

What do the bronchi split into within the lungs?

Smaller secondary bronchi which enter separate lobes, and further into tertiary bronchi.

What are bronchioles?

The smallest airways of the respiratory tract with a diameter of 1mm or less.

What are alveolar ducts and alveoli?

Passageways that connect respiratory bronchioles to alveoli, which are thin-walled structures for gas exchange.

How many alveoli are there approximately in the lungs?

About 300-600 million.

What causes air to flow from one area to another in the respiratory system?

A pressure gradient; air flows from high pressure to low pressure.

What is turbulent flow?

Disorganized flow where air moves in all directions, resulting in higher flow resistance.

What is laminar flow?

Organized flow with layers of air moving in the same direction, resulting in lower resistance.

What does the respiratory system do to inspired air?

It warms, filters, and humidifies the air.

What is the relationship between turbulent flow and pressure gradient?

Turbulent flow requires a higher pressure gradient to maintain flow rate due to increased resistance.

What is the significance of the alveoli's thin walls?

They facilitate gas exchange due to their large surface area and thin cell layer.

What is the role of ciliated respiratory epithelium?

It secretes mucus and fluid to help trap particles and pathogens in the respiratory tract.

What initiates the coughing reflex?

Food or fluid that accidentally enters the larynx.

What type of airflow is associated with lower resistance in the respiratory system?

Laminar airflow.

How does airflow change from the bronchi downwards?

Airflow becomes relatively more laminar.

What type of epithelium is found in the upper respiratory tract, bronchi, and much of the bronchioles?

Ciliated epithelium with goblet cells that secrete mucus.

What is the function of cilia in the respiratory system?

Cilia push mucus upward towards the pharynx, aiding in mucociliary clearance.

What is mucociliary clearance?

The process of expelling mucus by cough or swallow, aided by cilia.

What happens to resistance when the slope of airflow is steeper?

Resistance decreases.

What is the role of external intercostal muscles during respiration?

They lift the lower rib upward and outward, expanding the thoracic cavity.

What is the primary muscle involved in breathing?

The diaphragm.

What occurs when the diaphragm contracts?

It flattens, increasing the volume of the thoracic cavity and lowering pressure, allowing air to fill the lungs.

What happens to the diaphragm when it relaxes?

It becomes dome-shaped, aiding in exhalation.

What is the function of internal intercostal muscles during forced expiration?

They decrease the volume of the thoracic cavity and raise pressure, pushing air out of the lungs.

What are the accessory muscles of respiration?

Muscles such as the sternocleidomastoid and scalene muscles that assist in breathing during vigorous respiration or lung disease.

What is the conducting zone of the respiratory system?

It extends from the nose to the terminal bronchioles, warming, humidifying, filtering, and conducting air.

What is the anatomical dead space in the respiratory system?

The conducting zone. It helps warm and humidify inhaled air, traps particulate matter, and contributes to carbon dioxide retention, which is important for regulating blood pH.

How does airflow move through the conducting zone?

By bulk flow.

What anatomical changes occur between the conducting zone and the respiratory zone?

Changes in cartilage, smooth muscle, epithelium, and the diameter of the airways.

What is resistance in the context of airflow in the respiratory system?

A measure of the difficulty of flow, influenced by friction between gas particles and the tube wall.

What factors influence airway resistance?

• The dimensions of the airway (length and radius)

• The density of the gas

• The flow profile (whether the flow through the airway is laminar or turbulent)

What happens to the thoracic cavity during contraction of the diaphragm?

The volume increases, allowing the lungs to fill with air.

What is the function of abdominal muscles during forced expiration?

They help decrease the volume of the thoracic cavity by pushing the diaphragm upwards.

What is the relationship between the internal and external intercostal muscles?

They have opposing functions; internal intercostals narrow the rib cage while exhaling, and external intercostals expand it during inhalation.

What is the significance of the phrenic nerve in respiration?

It innervates each half of the diaphragm, controlling its contraction.

What comprises the respiratory zone?

The respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, and alveoli.

What happens to bulk air movement at the alveolar ducts?

Bulk movement of air ceases; diffusion takes over for gas exchange.

What is the primary mechanism of gas exchange at the alveolar walls?

Diffusion, where oxygen (O2) moves into capillaries and carbon dioxide (CO2) moves out.

What is turbulent flow in the respiratory system?

Messy flows of air that require an increased pressure gradient, typically occurring in the nasal cavity or conchae.

What is laminar flow in the respiratory system?

A smooth flow of air that requires a normal pressure gradient, usually occurring in the alveoli.

How does the arrangement of respiratory bronchioles affect airflow resistance?

The parallel arrangement of small airways results in a large total cross-sectional area, reducing resistance to airflow.

What does Boyle's Law state about the relationship between pressure and volume?

Pressure is inversely proportional to volume at a fixed temperature; if volume increases, pressure decreases.

How is compliance defined in the context of the respiratory system?

Compliance is the measure of how much pressure is required to produce a certain change in volume.

What happens to pressure when the volume of a gas container is increased?

The pressure decreases due to fewer collisions of gas molecules with the walls of the container.

What is the effect of increased volume on alveolar surface area and pressure?

An increase in volume leads to an increase in surface area in the alveoli and a decrease in pressure.

What is the resting state of the respiratory system?

When the pressure within the lungs equals atmospheric pressure, resulting in no air movement.

What is required for air to flow into the lungs during inspiration?

The pressure of air in the lungs must be decreased below atmospheric pressure.

What actions occur during quiet breathing to facilitate inspiration?

Contraction of the diaphragm and external intercostals increases thoracic cavity volume and decreases intrathoracic pressure.

What must happen to lung pressure during expiration?

The pressure of air in the lungs must be increased above atmospheric pressure.

How is expiration achieved during quiet breathing?

By relaxation of the external intercostal muscles and diaphragm, allowing passive elastic recoil of the lungs.

What law describes the relationship between temperature and pressure of a gas?

Amontons' law, which states that pressure is directly proportional to temperature at constant volume.

What is the relationship between resistance and airflow in the respiratory system?

Higher resistance (like in the upper respiratory tract) leads to turbulent airflow, while lower resistance (from the bronchi onwards) leads to laminar airflow.

What occurs to intrathoracic volume during expiration?

It decreases, which increases intrathoracic pressure.

What is the role of water vapor in the respiratory system?

Water vapor is a component of the air that can influence gas exchange and pressure dynamics.

How does the contraction of the diaphragm affect abdominal contents during inspiration?

It pushes the abdominal contents downwards, increasing thoracic cavity volume.

What happens to intrathoracic pressure during inspiration?

It decreases below atmospheric pressure, allowing air to flow into the lungs.

What is the significance of the pressure-volume curve in the context of compliance?

It illustrates how much pressure is needed to achieve a certain change in volume, indicating material compliance.

What is the effect of increased thoracic cavity volume on intrathoracic pressure?

Increased volume lowers intrathoracic pressure, facilitating airflow into the lungs.

What happens to pressure in the lungs during expiration?

The pressure in the lungs raises, causing air to flow out into the atmosphere.

What is a pressure gradient?

The rate of change of pressure with respect to distance, which is a vector quantity indicating the direction of the most rapid pressure increase.

How does water vapor pressure affect lung volume measurements?

Water vapor pressure (PH20) contributes to total gas pressure, reducing the amount available for other gases, thus influencing lung volume measurements.

What is BTPS in respiratory physiology?

Body temperature and pressure, saturated; it refers to inspired air that is fully saturated with water vapor at body temperature (37°C, 98.6°F), contributing 47 mmHg to total pressure.

What does ATPS stand for?

Ambient temperature and pressure, saturated; it refers to expired air collected at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure, fully saturated with water vapor.

What are the conditions for STPD?

Standard temperature and pressure, dry; it uses a standard temperature of 273°K, standard pressure of 760 mmHg, and completely dry air.

What is spirometry used for?

To measure lung volumes and air flows, providing important aspects of lung function.

What device is used in spirometry?

A spirometer, which records changes in lung volume directly.

What is a spirogram?

The resulting graph of lung volume over time from spirometry, where inspiration shows an upward deflection and expiration shows a downward deflection.

How does a pneumotachometer measure volume?

It measures flow rate through a resistive element that creates a pressure difference, which is proportional to flow rate; volume is calculated as the integral of flow.

What is tidal breathing?

A restful breathing pattern where a certain amount of air is inspired and expired repeatedly, using only a small fraction of lung capacity.

What is expiratory reserve volume (ERV)?

The volume of air that can be expired from the end of a normal inspiration, approximately 1.5 L in a healthy young adult.

Can all of the expiratory reserve volume (ERV) be expired?

No, not all of the ERV can be expired.

What is forced vital capacity (FVC)?

The maximum amount of air that can be forcibly expired after a maximal inhalation.

What are dynamic lung parameters?

Parameters that depend on time, specifically the rate of airflow indicating the openness of the airways.

What influences the pressure of water vapor?

The temperature of the water vapor; hotter water vapor contributes more to total pressure.

What is the relationship between lung volume and water vapor content?

The amount of water vapor influences lung volume measurements by affecting the total gas pressure.

What is the significance of standard conditions in respiratory physiology?

Standard conditions allow for the comparison of O2 consumption and CO2 production under different environmental conditions.

What is the approximate total pressure at sea level?

Approximately 760 mmHg.

What defines the respiratory cycle?

The phases of inspiration and expiration associated with different volumes of air.

How does tidal volume relate to lung capacity?

Tidal volume uses only a small fraction of lung capacity, indicating that there is reserve volume available.

What does the term 'dynamic' refer to in the context of lung parameters?

It refers to parameters that change over time, particularly the rate of airflow.

What is the role of the spirometer in pulmonary function tests?

It is the most common device used to measure and record lung volumes and airflow.

What is inspiratory reserve volume (IRV)?

The maximum volume above the tidal volume that can be inspired into the lungs, approximately 3 L.

What is tidal volume (VT)?

The volume of air inspired and expired during restful breathing, approximately 0.5 L.

What is the normal breathing rate for adults?

10-12 respiratory cycles per minute.

What is functional residual capacity (FRC)?

The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a full expiration, approximately 1.2 L.

What is forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)?

The volume of air that can be forcibly expired in one second after maximal inspiration.

Why is the FEV1 measurement standardized to one second?

To allow for comparisons between individuals and for an individual at different times.

What does the FEV1/FVC ratio indicate?

The fraction of FVC that was expired in one second, helping to assess lung function.

What is a healthy FEV1/FVC ratio?

0.8 (80%) or more.

What could a low FEV1/FVC ratio indicate?

It may indicate obstructive lung disease or restrictive lung disease.