RESPIRATORY

SYSTEM
BY: CYBILL D. DIAZ, RN, MAN
Components

The most external organ, air is inhaled and exhaled through

Nose nose, has different mechanisms for cleaning and
condensing the inhaled air

Also known as sound box, formed of cartilages, connects

Larynx the tracheo to the laryngopharynx

Tubular structure with about 1 inch diameter, composed of

Trachea 15-20 C shaped cartilages that keep it dilated

Left and Right dividions of trachea, enters the lungs and

Bronchi divide into secondary bronchi

Main organs of respiration, two in number (one on each

Lungs side of heart) Conical in shape, divided into lobes
 Parts
Parts of respiratory system where
exhcange of gases does not take
Conductive Parts place, include Nose, larynx, trachea,
and bronchi.
Parts of respiratory system where
Respiratory Parts exchange of gases takes place, Incude
Lungs
FUNCTION of the LUNGS

 Gaseous Exchange
 Excretion of carbon dioxide
 Oxygenation of blood
INTRODUCTION to the
Respiratory System
 Respiratory system is the system of respiratory
passages, lungs and respiratory muscles of
human body.
 Respiratory system is responsible for exchange of
gases between the human body and the
surroundings. In the process of exchange of
gases, human body gains oxygen and gets rid of
carbon dioxide. Other gases of the atmosphere
have no significant role in human respiratory
system.
 Functions of Respiratory System:
EXCRETION OF CARBON
GASEOUS EXCHANGE: OXYGENATION OF BLOOD:
DIOXIDE:
• Main function of • Respiratory system is the • Oxygen is required by the
respiratory system is major system for body for break down of
gaseous exchange. excretion of carbon food and must be
Through respiratory dioxide from the body. continuously supplied for
system new air is always Carbon dioxide is continuous supply of
brought into the body produced as a result of energy. Supply of oxygen
and used air is expelled metabolic break down of is maintained by
out. In this way oxygen is carbohydrates in body respiratory system.
gained and carbon and must be eliminated
dioxide is lost by the quickly. Carbon dioxide is
body. brought to the lungs by
blood and is lost from the
lungs through gaseous
exchange with fresh air in
lungs.
Organs of human respiratory
system:
 Themain organs of human respiratory
system are lungs and respiratory passages.
 Musclesof respiration also form a
component of respiratory system but there
importance is rather little as compared to
lungs and respiratory passages.
 Lungs:  Respiratory Passages:
Lungs are the organs of
human body where
gaseous exchange take
place. Human beings
have two lungs known as
the right and left lungs.
Lungs are soft, spongy
and very elastic.
Respiratory passages or
air-ways are the
conducting portions of
human respiratory system.
Here no exchange of
gases take place, but
they guide the air to go
to the lungs and not
anywhere else in the
body. Conducting portion
of the human respiratory
system consists of;
Traches, Bronchi,
Bronchioles, Alveolar sacs
and Alveoli.
Trachea:
 The trachea is the continuation of the larynx and
commences in the neck below the cricoid
cartilage at the level of C6 vertebra, 5 cm
above the jugular notch.
 Entering the thoracic inlet in the mid-line, it
passes downwards and backwards behind the
manubrium to bifurcate into the two principal or
main bronchi on a level just below the lower
border of the manubrium.
Functions:
 The wall of the trachea is elastic because it must stretch.
The trachea is stretched into elongation during
swallowing. Elevation of the larynx elevates the upper
end; the bifurcation does not move. Elastic recoil of the
trachea restores its original length, pulling the larynx
down to its rest position. Normally there is no call on
sternothyroid to depress the larynx, and swallowing is
unimpaired by loss of this muscle. Per contra, pulling
down on the bifurcation by sudden descent of the
diaphragm, pericardium and aortic arch produces the
clinical sign of ‘tracheal tug’.
Functions:
 The curved bars (‘rings’) of hyaline cartilage are
incomplete so that the diameter may be
controlled by the trachealis muscle. Cine-
radiography of a cough shows 30% increase in
transverse diameter produced by compressed
air in the trachea while the vocal cords are shut,
but 10% narrowing of the resting diameter at the
instant the cords open. Like the choke barrel of
a shotgun this greatly increases the explosive
force of the blast of compressed air.
Functions:
 The softness of the elastic wall must be strutted
open by bars of hyaline cartilage to prevent
collapse during inspiration.
 The mucous membrane shares with the other
respir¬atory mucous membranes the property of
trapping particulate matter in a surface film of
mucus. The soiled mucus is beaten upwards to
the larynx by the cilia of the surface epithelium.
From the larynx it is expelled by coughing
(clearing the throat). Serous glands in the
mucous membrane humidify the air.
Principal bronchi:
 Principal (main) bronchi arise from the trachea as two
terminal branches:
 The right principal bronchus is wider, shorter and more vertical
than the left and is about 1 inch long. Before entering the hilum
of the right lung, it gives off the superior lobar branch. This means
that on the right side, the superior lobar branch does not arise
inside the lung tissue but outside it.
 The left principal bronchus is narrower, longer and more
horizontal as compared to the right principal bronchus. It is
about 2 inches long. It passes to the left below the arch of aorta
and in front of the esophagus. After entering the left lung, the
principal bronchus divides into superior and inferior lobar
bronchi.
Lungs
 Lungs are soft spongy and very elastic in living individuals.
If the thoracic cavity were opened, the lungs would shrink
to 1/3 of their original size because of their elastic nature
and atmospheric forces.
 Lungs are pink in color in children but in adults they
become mottled and dark because of inhalation of dust
particles that become trapped in the phagocytes of the
lungs.
 Lungs are placed in the thoracic cavity in such a way so
that one lies on each side of the mediastinum and thus
the two lungs are separated by heard and large blood
vessels besides the other structures in mediastinum.
Shape of lungs:

 Each lung is conical in outline and is covered

with visceral pleura. It suspends freely in its own
pleural cavity and is attached to the
mediastinum only through its root (the place
where blood vessels and bronchi attach to the
lung at hilum).
 SHAPE OF THE LUNGS
Costal Mediastinal Anterior Posterior
Apex: Hilum:
surface: surface: border: border:

• Each lung • Convex in • concave • At about the • thin and • is thick and
has a blunt shape, and is middle of overlaps the lies beside
apex which molded to the heart. It is the vertebral
projecting corresponds the mediastinal here on the column.
upward into to the pericardium surface, left lung that
the neck for concave and other there is a the cardiac
about 1 inch chest wall. structures of depression notch is
above the the where the found.
clavicle. mediastinum bronchi,
Base: The . blood
base of both vessels and
lungs is nerves,
concave, which form
which sits on the root,
the enter of
diaphragm. leave the
lung.
Lobes and fissures of lungs:
Right lung: Left lung:
 slightly larger than the left one  Left lung contains only
and is divided into three lobes, one fissure which divides
the upper, middle and lower
lobes, by oblique and
into two lobes: upper and
horizontal fissures. lower.
 The lobe of the lung above the  The lobe that lies above
horizontal fissure is called the the oblique fissure is
upper lobe. One below the called the upper lobe
oblique fissure is called the
lower lobe. The middle lobe is
and one below it is called
a small triangular lobe lower lobe.
bounded by oblique and
horizontal fissures.
Bronchopulmonary segments:
principal bronchi

lobar bronchi also

known as secondary
bronchi

segmental (tertiary) branches of pulmonary

bronchi. artery

bronchopulmonary segments
Characters of bronchopulmonary
segments:
 It is an independent subdivision of a lung lobe
 It is pyramid shaped with its apex towards the root of lung
 It is surrounded by connective tissue
 It has its own segmental bronchus, segmental artery, lymph
vessels and autonomic nerves.
 The segmental veins lie in connective tissue between adjacent
bronchopulmonary segments.
 Any segment can be removed surgically with no effect on the
remaining segments.
Airways inside the lungs:
 On entering the bronchopulmonary segment, each segmental
bronchus divides repeatedly into smaller branches.
 As the size reduces with each successive division, the U-shaped
bars of cartilage disappear and are replaced by irregular plates
of cartilage.
 These plates of cartilage become smaller and fewer in number
as the size reduces with each division. The smallest bronchi give
rise to bronchioles, which are less than 1 mm in diameter. They
possess no cartilage and the submucosa possesses a complete
layer of circularly arranges smooth muscles.
Airways inside the lungs:
 The bronchioles then divided into terminal bronchioles. As the division
continues, delicate outpouchings start to appear and at this point the
terminal bronchioles are called respiratory bronchioles because
gaseous exchange takes place between these outpouchings.
 The diameter of each respiratory bronchiole is about 0.5 mm.
 The respiratory bronchioles terminate by forming alveolar ducts, which
lead into tubular passages with numerous outpouchings called
alveolar sacs.
 These sacs consist of several alveoli that open into a single chamber.
These are the actual units of gaseous exchange in lungs. They are
richly supplied with blood capillaries and exchange takes place
between the air in the alveolar lumen and blood within the
surrounding capillaries.
Root of the lungs:

 Root is formed by structures that enter or leave

the lung.
 These structures are bronchi, pulmonary arteries,
pulmonary veins, lymph vessels, bronchial vessels
and nerves.
 The root is surrounded by tubular sheath of
pleura, which joins the mediastinal pleura to the
visceral pleura.
ALVEOLI

 At the end of each alveolar duct there are a

number of sac-like structures called alveoli, it is
within these structures that surfactant is
produced.
 The alveoli are grouped together like a lot of
interlinked caves, rather than existing as
separate individual sacs.
 Gas exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
takes place in the alveoli.
STRUCTURE OF ALVEOLI

 The alveoli have a structure specialised for

efficient gaseous exchange:
 Walls are extremely thin.
 Theyhave a large surface area in relation to
volume.
 They are fluid lined enabling gases to dissolve.
 They are surrounded by numerous capillaries.
Gas Exchange in the ALVEOLI
Oxygen from the inhaled air diffuses through the
walls of the alveoli and adjacent capillaries into
the red blood cells.

The oxygen is then carried by the blood to the

body tissues.

Carbon dioxide produced by the body’s

metabolism returns to the lung via the blood.

It then diffuses across the capillary and

alveolar walls into the air to be removed from
the body with expiration.
BLOOD SUPPLY

 Thealveoli of lungs receive their blood supply

from terminal braches of pulmonary arteries.
 The blood gets oxygenated and drains into the
tributaries of pulmonary veins, which follow the
intersegmental connective tissue septa to lung
root.
 Fromeach lung root, two pulmonary veins get
out and enter the left atrium of the heart.
Pleurae of lungs:

 Thepleurae, which contain the lungs, lie on

either side of the mediastinum within the
chest cavity.
 Each pleura is made up of two layers:
parietal layer and visceral layer.
Pleurae of lungs:

The parietal layer lines the thoracic wall and covers

the thoracic surface of diaphragm. It also lines the
lateral aspect of mediastinum and extends into the
root of the neck where it lines the undersurface of
supra-pleural membrane.
The visceral layer completely covers the outer
surface of the lungs and extends into the depths of
interlobar fissures of lungs.
PLEURAL CAVITY
 Theparietal and visceral layers of each
pleura are separated from one another by
pleura cavity, which is a slit like space
containing the pleural fluid.
 Pleural fluid is actually tissue fluid that covers
the surfaces of both layers of pleura as thin
film. It permits the two layers to slide on one
another with minimum friction.
Divisions of parietal pleura:
 Parietallayer of each pleura is customarily
divided into a number of divisions based
on the region where it is present:
Cervical pleura
Costal pleura
Diaphragmatic pleura
Mediastinal pleura
MUSCLES OF RESPIRATION
DIAPRHAGM
LEVATORES COSTARUM MUSCLE
SERRATUS POSTERIOR SUPERIOR MUSCLE
SERRATUS POSTERIOR INFERIOR MUSCLE
Diaphragm
 Diaphragm is a muscular and tendinous sheath that
closes the opening between thorax and abdomen
and is pierced by structures that pass between these
two regions of the body.
 The diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration.
 It is dome shaped and consists of a peripheral
muscular part and central tendinous part. The
muscular part arises from the margins of the thoracic
opening and gets inserted into the central tendon.
Openings in the diaphragm:
 Aortic opening:
 This opening transmits aorta, thoracic duct and azygous vein and lies anterior to the body
of 12th thoracic vertebra between the crura.
 Esophageal opening:
 It transmits esophagus, left and right vagus nerves, esophageal branches of the left gastric
vessels and lymphatics from lower third of the esophagus. It lies at the level of 12th thoracic
vertebra in a sling of muscle fibers derived from the right crus.
 Caval opening:
 It transmits the inferior vena cava and terminal branches of right phrenic nerve. It lies at the
level of 8th thoracic vertebra.
 Other minor openings:
 Besides the three major openings, the diaphragm contains numerous small openings for
various structures.
Levatores costarum muscle:

 These are 12 pairs of muscles each arising

from the tip of the transverse process of a
thoracic vertebra and inserted into the rib
below. Each muscle is triangular in shape
with its apex lying towards the origin.
 Action:Each muscle raises the rib below
and is therefore and inspiratroy muscle.
Serratus posterior superior muscle:

 It is a thin flat muscle that arises from the

lower cervical and upper thoracic spines.
Its fibers pass downward and laterally to
be inserted into the upper ribs.
 Action: Serratus posterior superior muscle
elevates the ribs on its contraction and is
therefore a inspiratory muscle.
Serratus posterior inferior muscle:
 Itis also a flat muscle that arises from
the lower thoracic and upper lumbar
spines. It passes upward and laterally
to be inserted into lower ribs.
 Action: On its contraction, it
depresses the ribs and is therefore an
exspiratory muscle.
MECHANISM OF
RESPIRATION
INSPIRATION
EXPIRATION
Mechanics of Respiration
 The gaseous exchange phase of respiration consists
of two phases: Inspiration and Expiration.
 These are accomplished by the alternate increase
and decrease of the capacity of the thoracic cavity.
 The normal rate of respiration for a healthy adult
individual is 12 to 20 breaths per minute.
 The rate is faster in children and slower in elderly.
Mechanics of Inspiration:
 Quiet inspiration:
 To explain the mechanics
of inspiration, compare the
thoracic cavity to a box,
which has a single entrance
at the top. This entrance
corresponds to the trachea.
The capacity of the box
can be increased by
increasing all its diameters.
Thus the pressure within the
box will reduce and the air
from atmosphere will rush
into it.
 Forced inspiration:
 In deep forced inspiration,
maximum increase in the
capacity of thoracic cavity
occurs. In this process, every
muscle that can raise the
rib is brought into action. If
the upper limbs can be
supported by grasping a
chair back or table, the
sternal origin of the
pectoralis major can also
assist in the process.
Mechanics of Expiration:
 Quiet Expiration:  Forced Expiration:
 It is largely a passive  It is an active process brought about
phenomenon and is by forced contraction of muscles of
brought about by elastic anterior abdominal wall, which are
recoil of the lungs, assisted by other muscles. The
relaxation of intercostals quadratus lumborum muscle
muscles and diaphragm contracts and pulls the twelfth rib
and increased tone in downwards. Now if some of the
muscles of abdominal wall, intercostals muscles contract, they will
which force the relaxing pull the ribs together towards the 12th
diaphragm upwards. rib and the volume of thoracic cavity
will decrease. Serratus posterior
inferior and latissimus dorsi also play a
minor role.