Anatomy & Physiology

Respiratory System

Functions of Respiratory System

Ventilation:
Gas Exchange:

Gas Transport:

Organs of Respiratory System

Nasal Cavity
Pharynx
Larynx
Trachea
Bronchi
Lungs
Air
Smaller bronchi
Bronchioles
Alveolar ducts
Alveoli

Blood
Branches of pulmonary arteries
Arterioles
Capillaries
Venules
Branches of pulmonary veins

Nasal Cavity:

Inhaled air passes from nasal

cavity into pharynx.
Three regions:
Nasopharynx
Oropharynx
Laryngopharynx

Functions of Larynx:

Structure of Larynx:
Nine cartilages connected by muscles & ligaments

Structure of Larynx:
Nine cartilages:
3 large unpaired:

6 smaller paired:

Anterior
View

Posterior
View

Anterior

Posterior

Superior

Midsagittal (Section)

Vocal cords (also called vocal folds or

vocal ligaments)

Vocal cords (also called vocal folds or

vocal ligaments) are strands of dense
regular connective tissue running
anteriorly from arytenoid cartilages to
thyroid cartilage.
Air moving between them cause them to
vibrate.

Trachea:

Cricoid Cartilage

Primary Bronchus

Trachea:

Cross section of neck at level of vertebra cervical 6

Lungs:
Occupy most of thoracic cavity

Lungs:

Lungs:

Lungs:

Lungs:

Lungs:

Lungs:

Trachea
Primary bronchi
Secondary bronchi
Tertiary bronchi
(smaller branches)
(bronchioles)
Terminal bronchioles
Respiratory bronchioles
Alveolar ducts
Alveoli

Trachea
Primary bronchi
Secondary bronchi

Conducting Zone

Tertiary bronchi
(smaller branches)
(bronchioles)
Terminal bronchioles
Respiratory bronchioles
Alveolar ducts
Alveoli

Respiratory Zone

Alveoli:

As the bronchi branch and divide, so do the pulmonary

arteries and pulmonary veins which accompany them.
At the end, each alveolus is
surrounded by many capillaries
for the exchange of gasses
between air (in the alveolus)
and blood (in the capillaries).

This air (in the alveolus) and blood (in the capillaries)

Lets return to ventilation:

Air pressure is measured

Terminology you need to know:

Atmospheric pressure
Intrapulmonary pressure
Intrapleural pressure

Proper ventilation requires that the lungs also expand each

time the thoracic cavity expands.

Respiratory Volumes:
TIDAL VOLUME:

Respiratory Volumes:
EXPIRATORY RESERVE VOLUME:

Respiratory Volumes:
INSPIRATORY RESERVE VOLUME:

Respiratory Volumes:
RESIDUAL VOLUME:

Respiratory Volumes:
VITAL CAPACITY:

Respiratory Volumes:
TOTAL LUNG CAPACITY:

Note that all of the air which enters your nose does not
reach your alveoli.

Gas Exchange:
Movement of specific gases:
a) From a mixture of gases into a liquid
(e.g. oxygen moves from air in the alveoli into blood in
the capillaries)
b) From a liquid into a mixture of gases
(e.g. carbon dioxide moves from blood in the capillaries
into air in the alveoli)
c) From one liquid into another liquid
(e.g. oxygen leaves the blood and diffuses into
extracellular fluid, while carbon dioxide moves from the
extracellular fluids into the blood.

Daltons Law:

Atmospheric Air:
Nitrogen
= 78%
Oxygen
= 21%
Water
= 0.5%
Carbon dioxide = 0.04%
Other gases = 0.46%
Total
= 100%

This mixture of gases exerts a

total pressure of approximately
760 mm Hg

Henrys Law:

(How much of a gas dissolves in a liquid can only be changed

by changing its partial pressure, which can only be changed by
changing its concentration.)

Thus:

Example #1:
Suppose you have air which is
78% Nitrogen
20% Oxygen
and you measure how rapidly
1% Water
oxygen diffuses from this air
1% Carbon dioxide
to blood
Then, you change the composition of the air to
75% Nitrogen
14% Oxygen
5% Water
6% Carbon dioxide
How will this affect how much oxygen diffused from the air to
the blood?

Example #2:
Suppose you have air which is
78% Nitrogen
20% Oxygen
and you measure how rapidly
1% Water
oxygen diffuses from this air
1% Carbon dioxide
to blood
Then, you change the composition of the air to
69% Nitrogen
20% Oxygen
5% Water
6% Carbon dioxide
How will this affect how much oxygen diffused from the air to
the blood?

Realize:
The composition of air in alveoli does not equal the
composition of air in the atmosphere.
a) .
b)
c)

Inspired air:

Alveolar air:

78.6% Nitrogen
20.8% Oxygen
0.5% Water
0.04% Carbon dioxide

74.9% Nitrogen
13.6% Oxygen
6.2% Water
5.3% Carbon dioxide

Recall:
Gas exchange has four parts:
Oxygen moves from air to blood in lung
Carbon dioxide moves from blood to air in lung
Oxygen moves from blood to extracellular fluids in
consumer tissues
Carbon dioxide moves from extracellular fluids to blood
in consumer tissues
Fortunately: All of these gas movements are governed by
the same laws of physics (Daltons and Henrys laws).
That is: movement of a gas from one place to another
depends on its concentrations in the two places and on its
solubility.