Respiratory System

• Respiratory System

  • is the organs and structures in your body that allow you to breathe.
• Respiratory includes your lungs, nose, mouth, and the tubelike structures (airways) that connect them.
• Functions of your respiratory system:

  1. Warms and adds moisture to the air you breathe in
  2. Protects your body from particles you breathe in
  3. Allows you to talk
  4. Helps you smell
  5. Balances level of acidity in your body
• Parts of the respiratory system:

  • Nose
  • Mouth
  • Throat
  • Pharynx
  • Larynx
  • Trachea
• Parts of the respiratory system

  • Lungs
  • Bronchi
  • Bronchioles
  • Alveoli
• Nose

  • provides air for respiration
  • sense of smell
  • cleans itself from foreign debris
• Nostrils - These are the openings through which air enters the nasal cavity
• Nasal septum - It divides the nose into two nasal cavities
• Nasal cartilage - Provides structure and support to the external nose.
• Nasal conchae - The nasal conchae are three bony shelves or structures inside the nasal cavity. They are called the superior, middle, and inferior conchae
• Olfactory Epithelium - is a special part of your nose that helps you smell different scents or odors
• Nasal Vestibule - it leads into the nasal cavity
• Mouth

  • it serves as an alternative pathway for air to enter and exit the body
• Speech - The mouth, along with the vocal cords, tongue, and other structures, plays a crucial role in producing speech sounds
• Taste and Smell - The mouth is involved in the sense of taste. Taste buds on the tongue help us distinguish different flavors
• Saliva Production - Saliva, produced in the mouth, helps with the initial digestion of food and also keeps the mouth moist
• Chewing and Swallowing - The mouth is responsible for the mechanical process of chewing food, breaking it down into smaller pieces
• Pharynx/Throat

  • is a muscular tube in the middle of your neck. It helps you to breathe and digest food
• Nasopharynx- is the uppermost part of the pharynx and is located behind the nasal cavity. It serves as a passageway for air during breathing.
• Oropharynx - is the middle part of the pharynx and is situated behind the mouth. It serves as a common pathway for both air and food
• Laryngopharynx - is the lowest part of the pharynx. It sits below the oropharynx and is connected to both the esophagus and the larynx
• Larynx

  • commonly known as the voice box, is a complex structure located in the throat between the pharynx and the trachea
• Thyroid Cartilage - It is often referred to as the Adam ' s apple, more prominent in males due to hormonal differences.
• Epiglottis - It is attached to the thyroid cartilage and helps prevent food and liquids from entering the airway during swallowing.
• Glottis - specifically referring to the opening between the vocal cords. It serves important functions in both respiration and vocalization.
• Vocal cords - also known as vocal folds, are a pair of flexible and delicate bands of tissue located within the larynx (voice box).
• Trachea

  • A part of the respiratory tract that rises below the larynx and moves down to the neck which is as well considered as the widest passageway
• Parts of Trachea:

  • Cervical Trachea - the upper part located in the neck.
  • Thoracic Trachea - the lower part located in the chest.
• Bronchi (singular, bronchus) contains two main bronchial tubes namely the right and left bronchi. This serves as the large tube that directs the air we breathe to both the right and left lungs.
• The bronchus contains smaller, secondary bronchi branches and into still smaller tertiary bronchi. The smallest airway that resulted from the bronchi’s branching off into smaller passageways is called the Bronchioles which leads to the Alveoli.
• Cilia: These are tiny hairlike structures that are lined up with the bronchi which helps the mucus (phlegm) along with some particles move out from the lungs.
• Lungs

  • are known as the largest organs of the respiratory tract. Its main function is to make oxygen available to the body and exclude other gases like carbon dioxide.
• Right lung: The right lung is divided into three lobes: the superior, middle, and inferior.
• Left lung: In contrast to the right lung, the left lung has only two lobes: the superior and interior. This part of the lung encompasses two parts that are not seen in the right lung namely the cardiac notch and the lingula.
• Alveoli

  • considered to be the functional unit of the lungs and where gas exchange occurs. The alveoli are tiny air sacs located at the end of the bronchioles.
• Disorders/Conditions of the respiratory system

  • Allergic rhinitis
  • Asthma
  • Bronchitis
  • Pneumonia
• ALLERGY RHINITIS

  • Also called hay fever, is an allergic reaction that causes sneezing, congestion, itchy nose and watery eyes
• ASTHMA

  • A chronic inflammatory condition that causes swelling in the airways.
• BRONCHITIS

  • is an inflammation of the lining of your bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from your lungs
• PNEUMONIA

  • an infection in one or both of your lungs. It causes the air sacs of your lungs to fill up with fluid or pus.