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Pleura
Lymph nodes
Alveolus
Lower lobe
Middle lobe
Upper lobe
Mucous layer
Mucous glands
Bronchiole
Bronchus
Trachea
Fissure
Diagram of the lower respiratory tract and lungs
Bronchiole
Left lung
Alveolus
Blood
capillary
Gas exchange
the hilum.
Divisions of the lungs
The lungs are divided into lobes. The right lung has three
lobes (upper, middle,
lower) and the left lung has two lobes (upper and lower).
Membranes called
fissures
divide the lungs into lobes.
It is important to know these structures because different
respiratory diseases
affect different parts of the airways and lungs
The function of the lungs exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
The main function of the lungs is to keep the correct
amount of oxygen and
carbon dioxide in the blood. In order to do this we
breathe air into the airways
of the lungs. The air then moves all the way down to the
sac-like endings of the
airways called
the alveoli
. In the alveoli, the oxygen from the air moves into
the blood stream which surrounds each tiny alveolus.
This vital oxygen is now
available for the body's needs.
Carbon dioxide
, which is a waste product from body tissues, is carried in
the
blood stream to the lungs. In the lungs, the carbon
dioxide is moved across
O
2
DEFLATED
INFLATED
Pleural
cavity
Visceral
pleura
Diaphragm
An enlarged pleural space in
lung collapse (pneumothorax)
Gas exchange
c
The normal supply of oxygen is obstructed. There may
be some obstruction
to the flow of air in the airways or there may be an
obstruction to the
flow of gases across the alveoli into the blood stream.
This may be due
to diseases like asthma, bronchitis or pneumonia.
Whatever the cause, the body will try to increase the
amount of oxygen in the
blood stream by breathing at a faster rate or more
deeply.
Most of the time the lungs are able to provide enough
oxygen for the body's needs.
If, for any reason, there is a severe shortage of oxygen in
the blood, this will result
in
cyanosis
. Cyanosis causes a blue colour of the lips, mouth and
tongue.
See Chapter 5 of the BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES
manual for more on cyanosis.
There is carbon dioxide in the blood stream. Carbon
dioxide is an acidic waste
product of body metabolism. The level of carbon dioxide
in the blood may rise
because there may be an over production of carbon
dioxide, e.g. from running
or exercising. In some medical conditions, e.g. diabetes,
there may be an
Mucous secretion
Mucus is secreted by the bronchial mucous glands. The
mucus forms a moist
protective layer which lines the bronchi and bronchioles
and also contains
antibodies against infection. The mucus traps foreign
bodies such as dust, dirt,
bacteria and air pollution and so prevents them entering
and establishing
themselves in the airways.
c
Dehydration
will dry out the mucus. When the mucus is dry and hard,
it is
more difficult for the lungs to protect themselves against
infection and foreign
bodies. Patients with respiratory disease must keep wellhydrated to prevent
their mucus drying out and becoming hard and thick.
c
Fine hairs or cilia
The cilia are fine hair-like structures which line the
airways. This carpet-like
layer moves systematically and pushes the mucus out of
the airway. The mucus
which is moved out the airway contains foreign bodies. In
this way the cilia
cleanse the lungs. Tobacco smoke and dehydration
prevent the cilia from
functioning properly.
c
The cough reflex
Any irritant e.g. excessive mucus, dust, dirt or other
foreign body, may
stimulate the nerve endings in the airway and cause the
person to cough
out the irritant.
c
White blood cells in the alveoli - macrophages
These cells lie in the alveoli and destroy dust particles
and bacteria.
Some important aspects of the anatomy and physiology
of the lungs and lower
respiratory tract have been discussed. The next chapter
will focus on how to
examine and interview a person with respiratory disease.
Summary: Clinical anatomy
and physiology of the chest and lungs
c
The airways are divided into the
upper
and
lower respiratory tract
.
The lower airways begin at the
trachea
and divide into two main
bronchi
which enter the lungs. In the lungs, the bronchi divide
into smaller bronchi