Anatomy Review: Respiratory Structures

Graphics are used with permission of:

Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings (http://www.aw-bc.com)

Page 1. Introduction
Astheyfunction,ourcellsuseoxygenandproducecarbondioxide.
Therespiratorysystembringstheneededoxygenintoandeliminatescarbondioxidefromthebodyby
workingcloselywiththecardiovascularsystem.
Thebloodtransportsthesegases,carryingoxygentothetissuesandcarbondioxidetothelungs.
Page 2. Goals
Toreviewthemajororgansoftherespiratorysystem.
Toexaminethestructuresoftherespiratoryzoneofthelungs.
Toexplorethemicroscopicanatomyofanalveolus.
Page 3. Overview: Respiratory System Organs
Let'sreviewtheorgansoftherespiratorysystembyfollowingtheflowofair.
Airentersthenosebypassingthroughtwoopeningscalledtheexternalnares,ornostrils.
Withinthenose,theairpassesthroughthenasalcavity,andthentravelsthroughthepharynx,a
musculartubewhichcarriesbothfoodandairthroughoutmostofitslength.
Airthenentersthelarynx.
Afterpassingthroughthelarynx,airentersthetrachea,whichisheldopenbyincompleteringsof
cartilage.
Thetracheadividesintoarightandaleftprimarybronchus,whichcarrytheairintothelungs.
Althoughnotpartoftherespiratorysystem,thediaphragmandtheintercostalmusclesplayimportant
rolesinbreathing.
Labelthediagram:

Page 4. Demonstration of Pleurae and the Lungs

Eachlungissurroundedbytwolayersofserousmembraneknownasthepleurae.
Therelationshipbetweenthepleuraeandthelungscanbedemonstratedbypushingafistintoawater
filledballoon.Theballoonrepresentsthepleurae,andthefistrepresentsthelung.
Asthefistpushesintotheballoon,noticehowtheballoonwrapsaroundit,andtheopposite
surfacesoftheballoonalmosttouch.
Theinnerpartoftheballoonwhichwrapsaroundthefistrepresentsthevisceralpleura.The
visceralpleuraisthepartofthepleurawhichcoversthesurfaceofthelungs.
Theouterpartoftheballoonrepresentstheparietalpleura,whichlinesthemediastinum,the
diaphragm,andthethoracicwall.
Noticethatthevisceralandparietalpleuraeareactuallyacontinuationofthesamemembrane.
Thewaterfilledspacebetweenthetwolayersrepresentsthepleuralcavity,whichcontainspleural
fluid.

Page 5. Visceral and Parietal Pleura

Thevisceralpleuraandparietalpleuraencloseeachlunginaseparatesac.Thefrostylayeryousee
herecoveringthelungistheportionoftheparietalpleurathatlinestheanteriorthoracicwall.
Thevisceralpleuracoversthesurfaceofthelungsandthecutedgesoftheparietalpleura.
Thepleuralcavityisanextremelythin,slitlikespacebetweenthepleurae,separatingthembyathin
layerofpleuralfluid.Thepleuralfluidassistsinbreathingmovementsbyactingasalubricant.
Theparietalpleuralinesthemediastinum,thesuperiorsurfaceofthediaphragm,andtheinnerthoracic
wall.
Page 6. Bronchial Tree
Thelungscontainmanybranchingairwayswhichcollectivelyareknownasthebronchialtree.
Airentersthelungsthroughtheprimarybronchi,whichbranchintosecondarybronchi,whichinturn
branchintotertiarybronchi.
Thetracheaandallthebronchihavesupportingcartilagewhichkeepstheairwaysopen.
Airflowsdeeperintothelungsasthetertiarybronchibranchrepeatedlyintosmallerbronchi,which
eventuallybranchintobronchioles.
Bronchioleslackcartilageandcontainmoresmoothmuscleintheirwallsthanthebronchi.These
featuresallowairflowregulationbyalteringthediameterofthebronchioles.
Bronchiolesbranchfurtherintoterminalbronchioles.
Theairwaysfromthenasalcavitythroughtheterminalbronchiolesarecalledtheconductingzone.The
airismoistened,warmed,andfilteredasitflowsthroughthesepassageways.
Beyondtheterminalbronchioles,theairenterstherespiratoryzone,theregionofthelungwheregas
exchangeoccurs.
Labelthediagramonthenextpage.

Page 7. Respiratory Zone

Beyondtheterminalbronchiolesliethe structuresoftherespiratoryzone,wherewebegintofind
alveoli,tinythinwalledsacswheregasexchangeoccurs.
Respiratorybronchioleshavescatteredalveoliintheirwalls.Theyleadintoalveolarducts,whichare
completelylinedbyalveoli.Theseductsendinclustersofalveolicalledalveolarsacs.
Labelthediagramonthenextpage.

Page 8. Alveoli and Pulmonary Capillaries

Thepulmonaryarteriescarrybloodwhich
islowinoxygenfromthehearttothe
lungs.
Thesebloodvesselsbranchrepeatedly,
eventuallyformingdensenetworksof
capillariesthatcompletelysurround
eachalveolus.
Thisrichbloodsupplyallowsforthe
efficientexchangeofoxygenand
carbondioxidebetweentheairinthe
alveoliandthebloodinthepulmonary
capillaries.
Bloodleavesthecapillariesviathe
pulmonaryveins,whichtransportsthe
freshlyoxygenatedbloodoutofthe
lungsandbacktotheheart.

**Nowisagoodtimetogotoquizquestions13:
ClicktheQuizbuttonontheleftsideofthescreen.
Workthroughquestions13.
Afteransweringquestion3,clicktheBacktoTopicbuttonontheleftsideofthescreen.
Togetbacktowhereyouleftoff,clickonthescrollingpagelistatthetopofthescreenandchoose"9.StructureofanAlveolus".

Page 9. Structure of an Alveolus

Structureoftheinsideofanindividualalveolusshowsthreetypesofcells:
1.simplesquamousepithelium
2.alveolarmacrophages
3.surfactantsecretingcells
Thewallofanalveolusisprimarilycomposedofsimplesquamousepithelium,orTypeIcells.Gas
exchangeoccurseasilyacrossthisverythinepithelium.
Thealveolarmacrophages,ordustcells,creepalongtheinnersurfaceofthealveoli,removingdebris
andmicrobes.
Thealveolusalsocontainsscatteredsurfactantsecreting,orTypeII,cells.

Page 10. Role of Surfactant

Theinsidesurfaceofthealveolusislinedwithalveolarfluid.
Thewaterinthefluidcreatesasurfacetension.Surfacetensionisduetothestrongattractionbetween
watermoleculesatthesurfaceofaliquid,whichdrawsthewatermoleculesclosertogether.
Asseenhere,thisforcepullsthealveolusinwardandreducesitssize.Ifanalveoluswerelinedwith
purewater,itwouldcollapse.
Surfactant,whichisamixtureofphospholipidsandlipoproteins,lowersthesurfacetensionofthefluid
byinterferingwiththeattractionbetweenthewatermolecules,preventingalveolarcollapse.
Withoutsurfactant,alveoliwouldhavetobecompletelyreinflatedbetweenbreaths,whichwouldtake
anenormousamountofenergy.
Page 11. Structure of the Respiratory Membrane
Thewallofanalveolusandthewallofacapillaryformtherespiratorymembrane,wheregasexchange
occurs.
Therespiratorymembraneismadeupoftwolayersofsimplesquamousepitheliumandtheirbasement
membranes.Thismembraneisextremelythin,averaging0.5micrometersinwidth.
Notice also that in many regions ofthe membrane there is no interstitial fluid. This is because
pulmonarybloodpressureissolowthatlittlefluidfiltersoutofthecapillariesintotheinterstitial
space.Oxygenandcarbondioxidecandiffuseeasilyacrossthisthinrespiratorymembrane.
Labelthediagram:

Page 12. Review: Respiratory System Structures

Page 13. Summary
Therespiratorysystemconsistsofthenose,pharynx,larynx,trachea,bronchi,andlungs.
Thevisceralpleuracoversthesurfaceofthelungs.Theparietalpleuracoversthemediastinumandthe
diaphragm,andlinesthethoracicwall.
Thelungscontainthebronchialtree,thebranchingairwaysfromtheprimarybronchithroughthe
terminalbronchioles.
Therespiratoryzoneofthelungsistheregioncontainingalveoli,tinythinwalledsacswheregas
exchangeoccurs.
Oxygenandcarbondioxidediffusebetweenthealveoliandthepulmonarycapillariesacrossthevery
thinrespiratorymembrane.

**Nowisagoodtimetogotoquizquestions4and5:

ClicktheQuizbuttonontheleftsideofthescreen.
Clickonthescrollingpagelistatthetopofthescreenandchoose"4a.FunctionalCellTypesinAlveoli".
Workthroughallpartsofquizquestions4and5.

Notes on Quiz Questions:

Quiz Question #1a: Airflow Pathway
Thisquestionasksyoutolabelthepartsofthebronchialtree.
Quiz Question #1b: Airflow Pathway
Thisquestionasksyoutolabeltherespiratoryzonestructures.

Quiz Question #2: Relationship Between Lungs and Pleurae

Thisquestionasksyoutolabelthepartsofthepleuralmembrane.
Quiz Question #3: Respiratory Zone Structures
Thisquestionasksyoutomatchthehistologyoftherespiratoryzonetoadiagram.
Quiz Question #4a,b,c: Functional Cell Types in Alveoli
Thisquestionasksyoutomatchthecelltypewithinthealveolitoitsname.
Quiz Question #5a,b: Respiratory Membrane: Effects of Edema
Thisquestionallowsyoutopredictwhatwillhappenwhenapatienthaspulmonaryedema.

Study Questions on Anatomy Review: Respiratory Structures:

1.(Page1.)Whatisthemainfunctionoftherespiratorysystem?
2.(Page3.)Labelthediagramonp.3.
3.(Page3.)Tracethepathwayofairfromtheoutsideofthebodyintothebody.
4.(Page4.)Labelthediagramonp.4.
5.(Page4.)Describethelocationofthevisceralpleura.
6.(Page4.)Describethelocationoftheparietalpleura.
7.(Page4,5.)Whatisinsidethepleuralcavity?
8.(Page5.)Whatisthefunctionofpleuralfluid?
9.(Page6.)Labelthediagramonp.6.Indicatetheconductingzone.
10.(Page6.)Whatisthebronchialtree?
11.(Page6.)Tracethepathwayofairfromthetracheatotherespiratoryzone.
12.(Page6.)Describethedifferencebetweenbronchiandbronchiolesintermsofsmoothmuscleand
cartilage.
13.(Page6.)Whatisthefunctionofthesmoothmuscleofthebronchioles?
14.(Page6.)Whereistheconductingzoneandwhatisitsfunction?
15.(Page7.)Labelthediagramonpage7.
16.(Page7.)Whatarealveoli?
17.(Page7.)Wherearethreeplacesalveoliarefound?
18.(Page8.)Whatarethenamesofthebloodvesselsthatcarrybloodtothelungs?
19.(Page8.)Whatarethenamesofthebloodvesselsthatcarrybloodawayfromthelungs?
20.(Page8.)Whichcontainbloodthatishigherinoxygen,thepulmonaryarteriesorthepulmonaryveins?

21.(Page8.)Wherearethepulmonarycapillariesfoundwithinthelung?
22.(Page9.)Labelthediagramonp.9.
23.(Page9.)Whatthreecelltypesarefoundwithinalveoli?
24.(Page9.)Whatisthefunctionofthesimplesquamousepithelium,orTypeIcells,withinalveoli?
25.(Page9.)Whatisthefunctionofthealveolarmacrophages,ordustcells,withinalveoli?
26.(Page10.)Whatisthefunctionofthesurfactantsecreting,orTypeIIcells,withinalveoli?
27.(Page10.)Whatispresentontheinsidesurfaceofalveoli?
28.(Page10.)Whatwouldhappeniftherewerenosurfactantinalveolarfluid?
29.(Page11.)Labelthediagramonpage11.
30.(Page11.)Whatistherespiratorymembranecomposedof?
31.(Page11.)Whyistherenointerstitialfluidinbetweenthetwolayersofsimplesquamousepitheliumin
therespiratorymembrane?
32.(Page11.)Whattwoimportantgasesdiffuseacrosstherespiratorymembrane?Inwhichdirectiondoes
eachgasflow?