Respiratory System and Mechanics of Breathing

Vocabulary flashcards covering the respiratory system's function, anatomy, and mechanics of breathing, including gas exchange, lung zones, and Boyle's Law.

Respiratory System Function

To bring oxygen into the body and remove carbon dioxide.

Trachea

The windpipe; a major airway from the throat into the chest and the first part specifically devoted to the respiratory system.

Primary Bronchi

The first division of the trachea as it splits into two branches.

Alveoli

Air-filled sacs in the lungs where gas exchange occurs; the functional part of the lung.

Bronchioles

Smaller branches of the airways that stem from the bronchi.

Alveolus

A single air-filled sac at the end of the terminal bronchioles where gas exchange takes place.

Conducting Zone

The part of the respiratory system through which air passes but does not participate in gas exchange (the 'pipes' of the system).

Respiratory Zone

The part of the respiratory system where gas exchange occurs (bronchioles and alveoli).

Anatomical Dead Space

The air within the conducting zone that does not participate in gas exchange.

Type One Cells (Alveoli)

Cells within the alveoli that primarily perform gas exchange.

Type Two Cells (Alveoli)

Cells within the alveoli that secrete surfactant to reduce surface tension and ease lung inflation.

Surfactant

A secretion that reduces surface tension in the alveoli, making it easier for them to inflate.

Mechanics of Breathing

How air moves in and out of the lungs, driven by pressure changes.

Boyle's Law

The principle that the pressure of a gas decreases as the volume increases, and vice versa, at a constant temperature (P1V1 = P2V2).

Quiet Breathing

Normal, relaxed breathing where inhalation is active (diaphragm contraction) and exhalation is passive (diaphragm relaxation).

Oxygen Hemoglobin Dissociation Curve

Illustrates the percentage saturation of hemoglobin at different partial pressures of oxygen.