Respiratory system

Organs involved in respiratory system

1. Nose & nasal cavity
2. Pharynx
3. Larynx
4. Trachea
5. Lungs
6. Bronchus
7. Alveoli

1.nose & nasal cavity

 Main route of air entry
 Right & left nasal cavity is separated by nasal septum
 The nostrils (nares) are the openings into the nose

Bones forming nasal cavity

 The roof is formed by cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone and the
sphenoid bone (frontal and nasal bone)
 The floor is formed by roof of mouth & consist of hard palate in front
and soft palate behind. Hard palate is composed maxilla and palatine
bone and soft consist of smooth muscles
 Medial wall is formed by septum, perpendicular sheet of bone and
cartilage formed from the vomer and ethmoid bone
 Lateral walls are formed by the maxilla, the ethmoid bone, and inferior
conchae
 Posterior wall is formed by posterior wall of pharynx

Lining of the nasal cavity

Nasal cavity is lined with very vascular ciliated columnar epithelium, which
contains mucous secreting goblet cells
Opening into nasal cavity
Anterior nares are opening from the exterior into nasal cavity and posterior
nares are opening from nasal cavity into pharynx
The main sinuses are :
 Maxillary sinuses in the lateral wall
 Frontal and sphenoid sinuses in the roof
 Ethmoidal sinuses in the upper part of lateral walls

2. Pharynx
Position
1. Pharynx (throat) is a passageway 12-14 cm long. It extends from
posterior nares & runs behind the mouth and the larynx of the 6th
cervical vertebra
2. Pharynx has dual function passageway of air travelling and swallow food
and drink water heading into oesophagus
3. In the posterior part of pharynx it consists of aerolar tissue smooth
muscles and the bodies of first six cervical vertebrae
4. Pharynx is divided into three parts
 Nasopharynx - the upper part of the pharynx, connecting with
the nasal cavity above the soft palate.
 Oropharynx - The middle part of the throat, behind the mouth
 Laryngopharynx - pharynx divides anteriorly into the larynx and
posteriorly into the esophagus

Structure
Mucous membrane lining
1. In nasopharynx it continues with the lining of the nose and consist of
columnar epithelium
2. The oropharynx and laryngopharynx consist of stratified squamous
epithelium (mouth to oesophagus)
Submucosa
1. Submucosa is rich in mucosa associated lymphoid tissue(MALT, p. 154)involved in
immunity
2. Some glandular tissues are also found here

Smooth muscles
1. The pharyngal muscles help to keep pharynx keep permanently open so that
breathing is not obstructed

Blood & nerve supply

1. Blood supply to pharynx is by several facial artery. The venous return into facial and
internal jugular vein
2. Nerve supply is from pharyngeal plexus & includes both parasympathetic and
sympathetic nerves
 Parasympathetic – vagus & glossopharyngeal nerves
 Sympathetic – superior cervical ganglia

3.Larynx
Position
1. Links laryngopharynx and trachea
2. Lies in front of laryngopharynx and the 3rd to 6th cervical vertebrae
3. Laterally – lobes of thyroid gland
Structure
Cartilages
1. Composed of nine irregularly shaped cartilages attached to ligaments and membrane
2. Main cartilages are epiglottis, the thyroid cartilage, the cricoid cartilage, and two
arytenoid cartilage

Epiglottis
 Leaf shaped fibroblastic cartilage covered with stratified squamous epithelium

Thyroid cartilage
 Made of hyaline cartilage, most prominent of the laryngeal cartilage
 Lies at the front of the neck & form most of the anterior walls of larynx
 Upper part of the thyroid cartilage is lined with stratified squamous epithelium like
larynx and lower part with ciliated columnar epithelium like trachea
Cricoid cartilage
 Lies below thyroid cartilage & composed of hyaline cartilage
 Shaped like signet ring
 Lined with ciliated columnar epithelium

Arytenoid cartilage
 Two roughly pyramid shaped hyaline cartilages situated on top board part of cricoid
cartilage
 Lined with ciliated columnar epithelium
Blood and nerve supply
1. Blood is supplied to the larynx by the superior and inferior laryngeal arteries &
drained by thyroid veins
Parasympathetic nerve supply – superior laryngeal & recurrent laryngeal nerves
Sympathetic nerve supply – superior cervical ganglia

(Space btw vocal cord is called glottis)

4. Trachea
Position
1. Trachea or windpipe is a continuation of larynx and extends downwards to 5th
thoracic vertebra where it divides carina into left and right primary bronchi
2. 10 – 11 cm long and lies in front of the oesophagus
Structure
1. The trachea is held open btw 16 and 20 incomplete rings of hyaline cartilage stacked
one above the other
2. Cartilages are embedded in a sleeve of smooth muscles and connective tissues
3. The tracheal wall is made up of three layers
 Outer layer contains fibrous and elastic tissue. It is protective and supportive
layer
 Middle layer contains C shaped cartilages and bands of smooth muscles
 The mucosal lining is ciliated columnar epithelium, containing mucous-
secreting goblet cells