Respiratory system- Nelson 11 definitions

Respiratory system

The group of organs that provide living things with oxygen from outside the body and disposes of waste products such as carbon dioxide

Respiration

All of the processes involved in bringing oxygen into the body, making it available to each cell, and eliminating carbon dioxide as waste

Inspiration

The action of drawing oxygen-rich air into the lungs

Expiration

The action of releasing waste air from the lungs

Gas exchange

The transfer of oxygen from inhaled air into the blood, and of carbon dioxide from the blood into the lungs; it is the primary function of the lungs

Ventilation

The process of drawing, or pumping, oxygen containing medium over a respiratory surface

Diffusion gradient

Describes the relationship in which a dissolved substance moves from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration

Diaphragm

A sheet of muscle that separates the theocratic cavity from the abdominal cavity

Spirograph

A graph representing the amount and speed of air that’s inhaled and exhaled, as measured by a spirometer

Tidal volume

The volume of air inhaled and exhaled during normal breathing

Inspiratory reserve volume

The volume of air that can be taken into the lungs beyond regular tidal inhalation

Expiratory reserve volume

The volume of air that can be expelled from the lungs beyond the regular tidal exhalation

Vital capacity

The total amount of air that can be moved in and out of the lungs during a single breath

Residual volume

The volume of air that remains in the lungs after a complete exhalation

Pharynx

The passageway just behind the mouth that connects the mouth and nasal cavity to the larynx and esophagus

Trachea

The tube that carries air from the nasal passages/mouth to bronchi and then to the lungs (AKA windpipe)

Glottis

The opening of the trachea through which air enters the larynx

Larynx

The structure between the glottis and the trachea that contains the vocal chords

Bronchus

The passageway that branches from the trachea to the lungs

Bronchiole

The passageway that branches from each bronchus inside the lung to increasingly smaller tubes

Alveoli

A tiny sac, with a wall that is one cell thick, found at the end of a bronchiole; respiratory gases are exchanged here

Hemoglobin

An iron- containing protein found in red blood cells, which binds to and transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body

Tonsillitis

And infection of the tonsils caused by a virus or bacteria

Laryngitis

An inflammation of the larynx that can cause the voice to become raspy or hoarse

Pneumonia

A disease that causes inflammation in one or both lungs; it’s usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection

Bronchitis

A respiratory disease that causes inflammation of the mucous membranes of the bronchi; it’s either acute (from infection) or chronic (from irritant)

Asthma

A lung disease that causes chronic inflammation of the lungs and overproduction of mucus in the lungs

Emphysema

Chronic respiratory disease that affects the ability of the lungs to expel air

Cystic fibrosis

A genetic disease that causes a thick build up of mucus in the lungs, resulting in infection, inflammation, and damage to the lung tissues

Carcinoma

A tumour made up of rapidly multiplying cells

Metastasis

The spread of cancerous cells from their original site to other parts of the body

CAT/CT scan

A specialized x-ray technique used for imaging organs and other tissues in the body (AKA computed axial topography)

Two-photon microscopy

A technique that uses photons from images of living tissue up to a depth of 1 mm.

Bronchoscopy

A technology for viewing, diagnosing, and treating the tissues and organs of respiratory system