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RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
ANATOMY
ANATOMY
Comprised of the upper airway and lower airway structures.
Upper respiratory system
Filters, moistens and warms air during inspiration.
Serves as a passageway for air to pass to and from the lungs. It filters impurities and humidifies and warms the air as it is inhaled.
Paranasal Sinuses
Resonating chamber in speech.
Pharynx
Throat, is a tube-like structure that connects the nasal and oral cavities to the larynx.
Larynx
Voice organ, is a cartilaginous epithelium lined structure that connects the pharynx and the trachea.
Vocalization.
Trachea, Windpipe.
Passage between the larynx and the bronchi.
Lower respiratory system
Enables the exchange of gases to regulate serum PaO two, PaCO two, and pH.
Lungs
Paired elastic structures enclosed in the thoracic cage, which is an airtight chamber with distensible walls.
Pleura
Serous membrane that lined the lungs and wall of the thorax.
Bronchi and Bronchioles
Basic gas-exchange unit of the respiratory system is the alveoli.
Alveolar stretch receptors respond to inspiration by sending signals to inhibit inspiratory neurons in the brain stem to prevent lung over distention.
During expiration stretch receptors stop sending signals to inspiratory neurons and inspiratory is ready to start again.
Oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged across the alveolar capillary membrane by process of diffusion.
Neural control of respiration is located in the medulla. The respiratory center in the medulla is stimulated by the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Chemoreceptors, a secondary feedback system, located in the carotid arteries and aortic arch respond to hypoxemia. These chemoreceptors also stimulate the medulla.