The Respiratory System
The Respiratory System
Parts of the Respiratory System • Lungs:
• Provide the body with oxygen • Eliminate carbon dioxide from
blood • Respiratory Tract:
• Passageways through which air moves in and out of the lungs
• Muscles: • Move air into and out of lungs
Internal vs. External
• External Respiration: the exchange of oxygen from the air around us into our lungs and the removal of carbon dioxide from the lungs via the respiratory tracts
Internal vs. External • Internal Respiration: the exchange of
oxygen from the alveoli in the lungs to the bloodstream and all other cells of the body during inspiration, and the movement of carbon dioxide (CO2)
Anatomy of the Lungs
• Pleura: outside of the lungs • Moist, double layer of membrane • Help make lung movement easier by
protecting lungs and providing moisture • Outer layer: parietal pleura • Inner layer: Visceral pleura • Space between the two layers: pleural
cavity
Anatomy of the Lungs
• Lobes of the Lung: • Right Lung:
three lobes • Left Lung: two
lobes
Respiratory Passageways
The Nose: • Divided into two cavities by a piece of
cartilage (nasal septum) • While passing through the nasal cavity, air
is warmed by blood vessels in the area • Foreign bodies are also filtered out of the
inhaled air by small hairs in the nasal cavity called cilia
Respiratory Passageways The Throat: also known as the Pharynx • Passageway for both air and food • Divided into three sections:
• Nasopharynx
• Oropharynx
• Laryngopharynx
Respiratory Passageways
Nasopharynx: lies above the soft palate Oropharynx: back portion of the mouth
• Contains the tonsils (palatine tonsils) which act in immunity
• Part of the mechanism of the mouth that triggers swallowing
Laryngopharynx: bottom of the throat • Respiratory tract divides into esophagus
and trachea
Nasopharynx
Oropharynx
Laryngopharynx
The Esophagus: passageway for food • Epiglottis: small flap that prevents
food from going into the larynx • Aspiration: occurs when you
swallow and inhale at the same time, causing some food to be pulled into the larynx. (Coughing usually forces out food, but choking may occur)
The Larynx: Voice box
• Area in trachea where sounds and speech are produced
• Contains Vocal Cords
The Trachea: • Tube that connects larynx to the left and
right bronchi • Bronchi are passageways that air travels
through to get to the left and right lung • After splitting into left and right
bronchus, each one splits off more and more, becoming smaller until they reach their smallest size, known as bronchioles
Trachea
The Alveoli: • Located in clusters at the end of each
bronchiole • Connect to small blood vessels called
capillaries • Oxygen is exchanged from the alveoli into the
capillaries and to the rest of the bloodstream • CO2 is expelled back out of the blood,
through the alveoli and out of the respiratory tract during exhalation
Animation!!
Muscles for Breathing
• Contractions enlarge the volume of the thoracic cavity during inspiration and decrease the volume during expiration
• Major muscles involved: • Diaphragm • Intercostals
Animation!!
Diseases and Disorders • Because this system can be exposed to
foreign material coming in from the outside, it can often become inflamed or infected
• When part of the respiratory system becomes inflamed, we usually name the disease by naming the area inflamed and adding the suffix -itis
Bronchitis
• Inflammation of the bronchi • Increase of secretion from mucus
membranes of the bronchi • Chronic Bronchitis: Occurs over a long
period of time • RESULT: secretions obstruct breathing • CAUSES: allergies, dust, infections,
pollution
Asthma
• Bronchial airway obstruction • Causes sudden breathing difficulty
accompanied by wheezing and coughing • Attack may be caused by allergy, infection
or anxiety
Emphysema
• Often affects the elderly, especially adults who smoke heavily and those with asthma or chronic bronchitis
• Unable to exhale the full amount of air from their lungs
• Causes carbon dioxide to build up • Damages alveoli
• Breathing becomes difficult-shortness of breath
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Any disease that causes chronic obstruction of the bronchial tubes and lungs
• Chronic bronchitis, emphysema
Hemoptysis
• Coughing up of blood in the lungs or bronchial tubes
• Can occur with chronic lung diseases • Tuberculosis, lung cancer, trauma
Lung Cancer
• Leading cause of cancer death in both males and females
• Caused by exposure to carcinogens (smoke from cigarettes)
• Early stages-no symptoms • Later stages-hemoptysis, dyspnea, weight
loss and chest pain
Upper Respiratory Infection
• Viral infection of part or all of the upper respiratory tract
• More commonly known as the common cold
• Highly contagious • Sneezing, watery eyes, sore throat, cough • No cure • Bed rest, cold medicines
Epistaxis (nosebleed)
• Results from trauma, rupture of a blood vessel in the nose
• First aid includes having the client remain calm and lean their head slightly forward • Pinch nostrils toward the nasal septum • Apply cold compress to bridge of nose • Seek medical attention if bleeding
continues
Pneumonia
• Inflammation and infection of the lungs
• Often affects bedridden, elderly and frail people
Tuberculosis
• Highly infectious disease
• Caused by a bacteria called bacilli
• Invades the lungs and causes small swellings and inflammation
Anthracosis
• Black lung
• Caused by coal dust in the lungs
• Threat to coal miners
Pleurisy
• Inflammation of the pleura
• Causes sharp, stabbing pain while breathing, dyspnea, fever and grating sounds in the lungs when breathing (crepitation)
Influenza
• Also known as the flu
• Occurs suddenly, caused by a virus
• Induces fever, chills, body aches, sore throat and fatigue
Affects Diseases have on breathing • Bradypnea: slow breathing
• Tachypnea: fast breathing
• Hypopnea: shallow breathing
• Hyperpnea: abnormally deep breathing
• Dyspnea: difficulty breathing
• Apnea: inability to breathe
• Orthopnea: difficulty in breathing, especially when lying down
Affects Diseases have on breathing
Affects Diseases have on breathing
• Cheyne-Stokes respiration: irregular breathing pattern • Apnea • Followed by deep, labored breathing • Then becomes shallow • Returns to apnea
• Can indicate impending death