Respiratory System

Respiratory System

• Lungs & Air passages• Responsible for taking in oxygen and

removing carbon dioxide (CO2)

• 4 – 6 minute supply of oxygen• Includes: nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea,

bronchi, alveoli, and lungs

Nose

• 2 nostrils• Nasal septum• Nasal cavities

– Lined with a mucous membrane– Rich blood supply– Air is warmed, filtered, and moistened

Nose

• Nasal cavities– Mucous helps trap pathogens and dirt– Cilia

• Tiny hairlike structures in nasal cavity• Also trap dirt and pathogens as they enter nose so they can

be pushed toward the esophagus and be swallowed

– Olfactory receptors – Nasolacrimal ducts drain tears from the eye into the

nose to provide additional moisture for the air

Sinuses

• Cavities in the skull around the nasal area• Connected to the nasal cavity by short

ducts• Lined with mucous membrane that warms

and moistens air• Also provide resonance for the voice

Pharynx • Lies directly behind the nasal cavities• Three sections

– Nasopharynx • Upper section behind nose

– Oropharynx• Middle section behind oral cavity

– Laryngopharynx• bottom section• Branches to esophagus & trachea

Larynx

• Voice box (Adam's apple)• Lies between the pharynx and trachea• Vocal cords

– Opening between cords is called the glottis– Vocal cords vibrate and produce sound– Tongue and lips act on the sound to produce

speech

http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2008/jul/VocalCordslg.jpg

Epiglottis

• Special piece of cartilage• Leaf like structure that closes the opening

into the larynx during swallowing• Prevents food and liquids from entering

the respiratory tract

Trachea

• Tube carries air between the pharynx and bronchi

• Series of c-shaped cartilage

Bronchi

• Two divisions of the trachea near the center of the chest

• Each bronchus enters a lung• Smaller branches are called bronchioles• End in air sacs called alveoli

Alveoli

• Air sacs – 500 million alveoli– Contain rich network of blood capillaries– Inner surface of alveoli are covered with

surfactant• Lipid or fatty substance• Helps prevent alveoli from collapsing

http://imglib.lbl.gov/cgi-bin/imagemap/ImgLib/COLLECTIONS/LUNG_STRUCTURE/.tour/Fig._1l.map

Lungs

• Organs that contain divisions of the bronchi and alveoli

• Right lung has three sections or lobes• Left lung has only two lobes• Pleura is membrane or sac enclosing each

lung

Health Lung Tissue

Organs of the respiratory system

Pathway of air from the nose to the capillaries of the lungs.

A) Tracheostomy.B) Healed tracheostomy incision

Endotracheal intubation.

Pneumothorax- Accumulation of air or gas in the pleural cavity, occurring as a result of disease or injury or as a treatment of TB and other lung diseases.

Bronchogenic carcinoma.