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The nose is first part of the respiratory system through which the air enters
and passes through the various parts of the respiratory system to the lungs.
The main function of nose is to moisten the air and make it warm along
with this; it also filters the various impurities present in the air.
The pharynx communicates with posterior nose, Eustachian tube , mouth ,
esophagus and larynx.
The larynx is a passage for the air from the pharynx to the trachea and like
nose it also helps in further moistening and filtering of the air. It is called as
voice box.
The trachea is a cylindrical cartilaginous tube, 11-12 cm long , from the
larynx to the bronchial tubes. It extends from the 6th cervical to the 5th dorsal
vertebrae. Here it divides at a point called carina into two bronchi, one
leading to each lung. It is lined with mucous membrane and its inner surface
is lined with ciliated epithelium .It is also called as wind pipe.
STRUCTURE OF LUNGS
The two lungs lie on each side of midline, in thoracic cavity. They are cone
shaped and consist of an apex and base. The right lung is larger then the left.
The lower surface of the lung is concave and is present very close to the
diaphragm, which divides the body into the thoracic cavity and the
abdominal cavity. The lungs are divided by the double layered membrane
called pleura which contains a small amount of serous fluid in it.
Each major branch from the trachea enters the root of the lung and
divides and subdivides to give progressively smaller bronchi and then still
smaller bronchioles. The small terminal bronchioles branch into respiratory
which branch into alveolar ducts ending ultimately into alveoli.
The walls of alveoli are surrounded by a dense network of capillaries. The
walls of the alveoli and capillaries are made up of a single layer flattened
epithelial cells. The exchange of gases between the alveoli and capillaries
takes place across this thin layer
TRACHEOBRONCHIAL TREE
TIPS TO REMEMBER
PROPERTIES OF GASES:
P = nRT / V.
P IS PRESSURE,
n is number of moles,
R IS gas constant,
T is absolute temperature.,
V is volume.
DALTON’ S LAW:
Total pressure exerted by mixture of gases = sum of partial pressure of all
gases present.
FUNCTIONS OF LUNG:
1. Gaseous exchange.
2. Humidification.
3. Prevents foreign bodies from entering the alveoli.
4. Phagocytic action by pulmonary alveolar macrophages.
5. Surfactant release that prevents the development of surface tension in
alveoli.
6. Conversion of Angiotensin I to Angiotensin II by activating the
enzyme, ACE.
7. Removal of various substances from blood - prostaglandins,
bradykinin, serotonin, nor epinephrine.