BIO163L – Respiratory and Urinary Systems Study Guide

This collection of flashcards covers key concepts from the BIO163L lecture on the respiratory and urinary systems, including anatomy, function, and processes for both systems.

What are the four main functions of the respiratory system?

Bring oxygen into the body, remove carbon dioxide, help regulate blood pH, support sound production.

What are the two major functional divisions of the respiratory system?

Conducting Zone and Respiratory Zone.

Name a structure in the conducting zone of the respiratory system.

Nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, or terminal bronchioles.

Where does gas exchange primarily occur in the respiratory system?

In the alveoli.

List the structures you must identify in the upper respiratory tract.

Nasal cavity, nasal conchae, hard & soft palate, pharyngeal regions, epiglottis, larynx.

What is Tidal Volume (TV)?

Air moved in/out during quiet breathing.

What is Vital Capacity (VC) and how is it calculated?

VC = IRV + TV + ERV.

What happens to intrapulmonary pressure during inhalation?

It decreases, allowing air to flow in.

Identify factors that influence gas exchange.

Surface area of alveoli, thickness of respiratory membrane, partial pressure gradients, ventilation-perfusion coupling.

What is the technical term for urination?

Micturition.

What is the role of the detrusor muscle in the urinary system?

Contracts to empty the bladder.

How much urine triggers the micturition reflex?

200-300 mL.

What is the maximum volume the bladder can hold?

600-800 mL.

What is Glomerular Filtration?

Blood enters the glomerulus through afferent arterioles, and filtrate is forced out into the capsule.

What is reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule?

Almost all water, glucose, amino acids, and some ions/electrolytes.

What are kidney stones also called?

Renal calculi.

What is the significance of the glomerular capsule?

It surrounds the glomerulus and is part of the renal corpuscle.

What do urinary casts indicate?

They indicate the presence of disease states in urine.