Respiratory system

• Disease


  A condition that deteriorates the normal functioning of the cell, tissues, and organs
• A disease is any damage or injury that impairs an organism's function
• Disease


  An "illness or sickness" characterized by specific signs and symptoms
• Functions of the Respiratory System


  • Gas exchange
  • Regulation of blood pH
  • Voice production
  • Olfaction
  • Innate immunity
  • Ventilation
• Asthma


  A chronic inflammatory disease of the airways in the lungs in which the airways periodically become inflammed, causing swelling and narrowing of the airways
• Upper Respiratory Tract


  • Nose and nasal cavity
  • Pharynx/Throat
  • Larynx/Voice box
• Asthma


  • Difficulty of breathing
  • Coughing
  • Wheezing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest tightness
• Nose and Nasal Cavity


  • Serves as a passageway for air
  • Cleans the air
  • Humidifies and warms the air
  • Contains the olfactory epithelium
  • Helps determine voice sound
• Causes & Risk Factors of Asthma


  • Family history of asthma
  • Genes
  • Obesity
  • Sleep apnea
  • Environmental factors
• Pharynx/Throat


  • Common opening of both the digestive and respiratory systems
  • Receives air from the nasal cavity
  • Receives air, food, and drink from the oral cavity
  • Connected to the respiratory system at the larynx and to the digestive system at the esophagus
• Nasopharynx


  • Most superior portion of the pharynx
  • Superior to the soft palate that separates the nasopharynx from the middle portion of the pharynx
  • Uvula is the extension of the soft palate
• COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)


  A lung disease characterized by chronic poor airflow
• Oropharynx


  • Middle portion of the pharynx
  • Posterior to the mouth and begins at the soft palate
  • Fauces joins the mouth's oral cavity and the oropharynx
  • Palatine tonsils
  • Lingual tonsil
• COPD


  • Shortness of breath
  • Cough that produces phlegm
• Laryngopharynx

  • Inferior part of the pharynx
  • Spans the posterior length of the larynx: from the most superior larynx structure, the epiglottis, to the esophagus
  • Lined with moist stratified squamous epithelium
• Chronic Bronchitis


  Refers to the symptoms of COPD
• Larynx/Voice Box


  • Located in the anterior part of the laryngopharynx and extends from the base of the tongue to the trachea
  • Held in place by membranes and muscles superior to the hyoid bone
  • Rigid walls maintain an open passageway between the pharynx and the trachea
• Emphysema


  Refers to the lung changes that occur with COPD
• Cartilages of the Larynx


  • Thyroid cartilage (Adam's apple)
  • Cricoid cartilage
  • Epiglottis
  • Arytenoid cartilages
  • Corniculate cartilages
  • Cuneiform cartilages
• Causes & Risk Factors of COPD


  • Tobacco smoking
  • Air pollution
  • Genetics
  • Exposure to secondhand smoke
• COPD Treatment

  • Bronchodilators
  • Supplemental oxygen
  • Cessation of smoking can slow down the rate at which COPD worsens
  • Lung transplantation (in severe cases)
• Vestibular Folds/False Vocal Cords


  The superior pair of ligaments that extend from the anterior surface of the arytenoid cartilages to the posterior surface of the thyroid cartilage
• Lung Cancer


  A malignant tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung
• Vocal Folds/True Vocal Cords

  • The inferior ligaments
  • The junction of the vocal folds is an opening which is a combination of the vocal folds, the glottis
  • The epithelium covering the vestibular and vocal folds is stratified squamous
• Causes & Risk Factors of Lung Cancer


  • Tobacco smoking
  • Exposure to chemicals (radon gas, asbestos)
  • Secondhand smoke
  • Other air pollutants
  • People who have close biological relatives with lung cancer
• Lower Respiratory Tract


  • Windpipe (Trachea)
  • Bronchi
  • Bronchioles
  • Alveoli
• Lung Cancer Treatment


  • Surgical removal of the tumor
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy
• Trachea


  • Allows air to flow into the lungs
  • Membranous tube attached to the larynx
  • Consists of dense regular connective tissue and smooth muscle
  • 15-20 C-shaped pieces of hyaline cartilage support the trachea and prevent it from collapsing
• Tuberculosis (TB)


  A disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis
• Tracheal Rings


  • Incomplete circles with the thickest portion of cartilage at the anterior wall
  • Posterior wall is devoid of cartilage and contains an elastic ligamentous membrane and bundles of smooth muscle
  • Trachealis muscle can narrow the diameter of the trachea by contracting, which aids in coughing
• Tuberculosis


  • Coughing for 3 or more weeks
  • Coughing up blood or mucus
  • Chest pain
  • Pain with breathing or coughing
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Night sweats
  • Chills
  • Loss of appetite
• Bronchi


  • Trachea divides to form two smaller tubes called main bronchi, or primary bronchi
  • Carina is the location where the trachea divides into the two main bronchi
  • Lined with a type of ciliated epithelium which functions as a mucus-cilia escalator, trapping debris from the air and moving it to the larynx
• Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium Tuberculosis) that spread from person to person through microscopic droplets released in the air
• Four Classes of Air Passageways

  • Lobar bronchi/Secondary bronchi
  • Segmental bronchi/Tertiary bronchi
  • Bronchioles
  • Terminal bronchioles
• Tuberculosis Risk Factors


  • Weakened immune system (HIV, Diabetes, organ transplant, severe kidney disease)
  • Travelling or living in certain areas (Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Latin America)
  • Other factors (living with TB patient, working in healthcare, using tobacco, and using substances)
• Bronchodilation


  Occurs when the smooth muscle relaxes, making the bronchiole diameter larger
• Tuberculosis Treatment


  • Combination of antibacterial medications (Isoniazid, Ethambutol, Pyrazinamide, Rifampicin)
  • Finish the medication (6-12 months)
  • Vaccine (Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG)
• Bronchoconstriction


  Occurs when the smooth muscle contracts, making the bronchiole diameter smaller
• Tuberculosis Prevention


  • Good hygiene (wash hands)
  • Cover mouth when coughing
  • Wear mask if sick
  • Dispose tissue properly
  • Well ventilated room
• Alveoli


  Small, air-filled chambers where the air and the blood come into close contact with each other