Respiratory System 1

When the diaphragm relaxes, the pressure in the lungs

becomes higher than the air outside, and deoxygenated air rushes out

alveoli are little bags of thin, moist membranes covered in ________

capillaries

The _______ system move oxygenated blood out of the lungs to the places in your body that needs it, and brings the deoxygenated blood back to your _____

circulatory, lungs

conducting zone

conduits to gas exchange sites Includes all other respiratory structures

When you breathe in, the diaphragm

contracts and flattens, allowing the lungs to open

normal pulse ox

95-100%, 90-95 is acceptable but must be monitored..

What is the implication of a pulse ox value of 91%.?

A pulse ox value of 91% is considered to be on the lower end. Normally, a person's pulse ox value should be between 95% and 100%. A value below 90% is low. Pulse ox value indicates how much oxygen there is in the blood. Thus, a pulse ox value of 91% suggests that there may be an issue with the respiratory system, but it is not extremely low.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a lung condition that causes airways to become inflamed and sensitive, and it also increases mucus production in the bronchi. Specific triggers cause issues because of how sensitive the airways are. Triggers worsen symptoms, causing more mucus to build up, smooth muscles around airways to constrict them, and the inflammation to worsen (an asthma attack.)

What changes inside the airways in the lungs lead to an asthma attack?

Asthma is caused by inflammation in the lining of the bronchi. When a person has an asthma, this lining is extra sensitive. During an attack, the bronchi produce extra mucus, which gives air less space to travel through. This usually occurs in a person with asthma, but it worsens during an attack. At the same time, the smooth muscle around the bronchi contracts and constricts the bronchi. This is called a bronchospasm.

Why do the body's cells need oxygen?

Cells need oxygen so that they can go through cellular respiration. This is how the cells make ATP, which is the cells' energy. In cellular respiration, glucose is broken down. Oxygen is used in this process.

Why do doctors monitor her response to medication when wheezing? How does that help with a diagnosis?

Doctors monitor Elaine's response to medication when wheezing because the medication Elaine is given is used to treat asthma. Elaine was given a bronchodilator. Bronchodilators widen the bronchi to help treat asthma. Because Elaine has responded positively to asthma medication (her FEV1 results improved), this suggests that she has asthma. So, by monitoring her response, doctors can determine if Elaine responds to asthma medications, thus helping with an asthma diagnosis.

What environmental conditions might cause damage to the alveolar sacs, and what would be the consequences of that damage?

Environmental conditions that may cause damage to the alveolar sacs are being around tobacco smoke and being around pollution (from mold, dust, asbestos, chemicals, etc.) This can cause you to develop lung disease such as COPD. COPD may develop because when alveoli get damaged, they break up so that they form 1 larger air sac, making less surface area over which gas exchange may occur. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis may develop when the alveoli start to get thick. Lung cancer can also begin in alveoli. Pneumonia occurs when the air sacs are filled with fluid. Thus, damage to alveoli may cause different lung conditions.

Describe the atmospheric and internal lung pressure differences leading to exhalation.

External intercostal muscles and the diaphragm relax, and internal intercostal muscles contract. Air pressure inside the lungs increases as these actions lower the amount of space in the lungs. Air pressure inside the lungs becomes higher than air pressure outside of them and air leaves the lungs as it goes towards a lower concentration of particles.

Why is hemoglobin important?

Hemoglobin is the part of the blood that carries oxygen. It is a protein found in red blood cells. If you did not have hemoglobin, oxygen could not be transported around your body. Hemoglobin has 4 different chains. Heme is found within the chains, and within heme is an iron atom. This iron is needed so that oxygen can bind to the heme and be transported around the body. Once this oxygen is used by cells, hemoglobin takes away the carbon dioxide from cellular respiration.

_____ is needed to make energy

Oxygen

Remember what you learned about diffusion in PBS or another science class. Use the principles of diffusion to explain why oxygen molecules in the tissues of the lung go into the blood, and then in other tissues the oxygen molecules leave the blood

Oxygen molecules in the tissues of the lung go into blood because in diffusion, particles move from a high to a low concentration. Because there is less oxygen in the capillaries, the oxygen will move towards that lower concentration. Similarly, when oxygen molecules leave the blood and enter cells, they also move towards a lower concentration of oxygen. These cells are in need of oxygen for cellular respiration, and they have a lower concentration of it.

Describe the concentration and movement of O2 and CO2 in the alveolus and capillary that surrounds it.

Oxygen moves from the alveoli to the capillaries while carbon dioxide moves from the capillaries into the alveoli. The alveoli have a lower concentration of carbon dioxide than the capillaries. Because particles move down the concentration gradient, carbon dioxide enters the alveoli. Because capillaries have a lower concentration of oxygen than the alveoli, oxygen enters them as it moves down the concentration gradient.

Describe what happens to the diaphragm and intercostals during inhalation.

The diaphragm contracts and becomes flat. External intercostal muscles also contract, and internal intercostal muscles relax, moving the ribs away from the lungs and up. The space inside the lungs increases.

What muscles control breathing?

The diaphragm controls breathing by changing the shape of the lungs. When you want to push out air, it relaxes and becomes curved. This decreases the size of the lungs, causing air pressure to increase and air to leave the lungs. When you breathe in, it contracts which causes it to become flat. Air pressure in the lungs goes down, and air enters the lungs. Other muscles that control breathing are intercostal muscles (which are between the ribs) and abdominal muscles (located in the abdomen and used when you must breathe fast). Muscles in your mouth, throat, and pharynx also aid with breathing. Muscles in the neck and collarbone are used when something has caused breathing to become hard such as an issue with the muscles usually involved in breathing. Smooth muscles can be found around airways.

Describe what happens to the diaphragm and intercostals during exhalation.

The diaphragm relaxes and becomes curved. The external intercostal muscles relax, and the internal intercostal muscles contract, making the ribs move down and towards the lungs. The space inside the lungs decreases.

Locate the epiglottis on the diagram and provide its function

The epiglottis is posterior and inferior to the tongue, and it is anterior to the esophagus. The epiglottis helps direct food so that it does not enter your lungs. When not eating, the epiglottis points up to direct air into the lungs. When eating or drinking, the epiglottis covers the larynx to direct food into the esophagus

List all of the structures a molecule of O2 would pass, starting in the nose and ending in the lungs.

The molecule would go from the nose and through the nasal cavity. It would go down the pharynx, down the larynx, and into the trachea. It would then enter the primary bronchi, go into the lungs, and then travel through the bronchi and bronchioles inside the lungs. It would reach an alveolus, where it would diffuse across the alveolus and into a capillary. It would travel around the body within a red blood cell in hemoglobin until used by a cell.

List all of the structures a molecule of CO2 would pass, starting in the lungs and leaving out the nose.

The molecule would leave the hemoglobin in the capillaries and diffuse into an alveolus. It would travel up through a bronchiole and through bronchi until it left the lungs. It would go through the primary bronchi, up the trachea, up the pharynx, up the larynx, into the nasal cavity, and out through the nose.

bulk flow

The movement of a fluid due to a difference in pressure between two locations.

Describe how the muscular system is interconnected to the respiratory system. What role do muscles play in an asthma attack?

The muscular system in interconnected to the respiratory system because the muscular system is what actually allows breathing to occur. The diaphragm relaxes and becomes curved when exhaling, increasing air pressure in the lungs and causing air to leave them. The diaphragm contracts and become flat when inhaling, decreasing air pressure in the lungs. Intercostal muscles are located between the ribs. When exhaling, the external intercostal muscles become relaxed and the internal intercostal muscles contract, causing more pressure to be put on the lungs. When inhaling, the internal intercostal muscles become relaxed and the external intercostal muscles contract, putting less pressure on the lungs. Smooth muscles are around the airways. During an asthma attack, these smooth muscles constrict in what is called a bronchospasm. It gets harder for a person to breathe.

What are three functions of the nasal cavity?

The nasal cavity filters air through nose hair, which keeps dirt and dust out of your lungs. The nose also warms the air entering your body because the lung tissue does not function well when in contact with cold air. The nose also moistens air because alveolar tissue needs to be moist to function properly.

What is the function of the respiratory system?

The respiratory system allows you to breathe. Oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged so that your cells can go through cellular respiration and your body can get rid of waste (which is carbon dioxide).

Between what two structures does gas exchange take place in the lungs?

The two structures that gas exchange takes place between in the lungs are capillaries and alveoli. The alveoli have very thin walls which allow oxygen to move through them and into capillaries. This also allows carbon dioxide from the capillaries to enter the alveoli so that it can be removed as waste.

Locate where the vocal cords are located on the diagram. What is the name of this structure?

The vocal cords are inferior to the epiglottis and anterior to the esophagus. They are also called vocal folds. They are inside of the larynx, and they help you to make sounds

What is the name of the windpipe? Why is it covered in cartilaginous rings?

The windpipe is also called the trachea. The trachea has cartilaginous rings so that the trachea gets support, but the rings also give the trachea mobility. The rings help the trachea to stay upright, and they also allow the trachea to get larger when air moves through it.

What is the purpose of having 300,000,000 air sacs in the lungs?

There are so many air sacs because this makes the surface area available for gas exchange larger. Air sacs are very important because this is where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged.

What are the two branches of the trachea called that lead into the lungs?

These are called bronchi. They take oxygen from the trachea into the lungs. They also allow carbon dioxide to leave the lungs. The bronchi that lead into the lungs are known as primary bronchi

How thick are capillary and alveoli walls? Why is this important?

They are 1 cell thick. This is important because if the walls were thicker, there could not be effective diffusion of gasses through them. Oxygen needs to leave the alveoli so that it can be picked up by blood cells and circulate around the body. Carbon dioxide leaves the capillaries and enters the alveoli once blood returns to the lungs.

What is the name of the common passageway where the nasal and oral cavities meet? Locate it on the diagram.

This is called the pharynx. It is posterior to the tongue, inferior to the soft palate, and posterior to the larynx.

What process produces the CO2 that the body must eliminate?

This process is cellular respiration. Cells breaks down glucose to get ATP through this process. In this process, oxygen is used, and carbon dioxide is the waste.

What is the role of smooth muscle in asthma? How could this relate to a possible treatment?

When a person has an asthma attack, the smooth muscle around the bronchi constricts the bronchi, making it harder to breathe. This is called a bronchospasm. This can relate to a possible treatment because in order to lessen the constriction of the smooth muscles during an asthma attack, mediation that widen the bronchi may be needed. This medicine may also be used daily to lower the amount of obstruction in the bronchi. These are called bronchodilators.

Describe the atmospheric and internal lung pressure differences leading to inhalation

When the diaphragm and external intercostal muscles contract and the internal intercostal muscles relax, the lungs get more space inside of them because the muscles don't push on them as much. Air pressure in the lungs goes down. Air pressure in the lungs is lower than air pressure outside of them. Air thus enters the lungs. Particles move from a high to a low concentration.

Describe the interaction between the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system.

When you breathe, the oxygen that enters your body travels through your lungs to the alveoli. There, it diffuses across the membrane of the alveoli. It is picked up by red blood cells in the capillaries. In these red blood cells, a protein called hemoglobin exists. This hemoglobin has iron, and the oxygen thus binds to hemoglobin and is carried around the body. Oxygen diffuses into capillaries because oxygen moves from a high to a low concentration. There is less oxygen in the capillaries, so this is what oxygen moves toward. Once it is inside the capillaries, oxygen is taken away to the heart. It then leaves the heart through the aorta and travels around the body. Oxygen diffuses into cells of the body. The hemoglobin picks up carbon dioxide, which is waste. The blood cells then return to the alveoli, where the carbon dioxide in them diffuses across the alveoli. They then pick up new oxygen and the cycle starts over.

As the pressure in lungs goes down

air flows into them

air moves from ___ pressure to ___ pressure

high to low

What 2 gasses are exchange at the capillaries?

oxygen and CO2

At the end of an exhalation, the diaphragm is

relaxed and arc shaped

Lungs have a high _______ to absorb a lot of oxygen at once

surface area

partial pressure

the pressure of each gas in a mixture

The large flat layer of muscles under the lungs is called the

thoracic diaphragm