Respiratory System

Prepared by: Ms. Shahnaz Wazir, CI, MCON SGH Liaquatabad

2 Objectives

At the end of this unit learners will be to:

 Define respiratory system

 Define respiration

 Describe the structure and function of following

 The upper respiratory tract (Nose, Pharynx, Larynx)

 The lower respiratory tact (Trachea, Bronchial tree, Lungs)

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

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 Discuss the physiology of respiration by explaining the mechanism of:

 Pulmonary ventilation

 External respiration

 Internal respiration

 Discuss nervous control of respiration

 Briefly discuss the lung volumes and capacities

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

4 Respiratory System

 The respiratory system is the network of organs and tissues that help you breathe.
 Respiratory system consists of nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs.
 Structurally respiratory system consists of two portion:
 The upper respiratory tract (nose, pharynx and associated structures)
 The lower respiratory tract (larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs)
 These parts work together to move oxygen throughout the body and clean out waste gases
like carbon dioxide.

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 Functionally it also consists of two portion:

 Conducting portion (interconnecting tubes and cavities both outside and within the lungs)
 Respiratory portion (tissues within the lungs where gas exchange occurs)
 Conducting portion, filter, warm and moisten air and conduct it into lungs
 In addition to functioning in gas exchange, the respiratory system also:
 Regulates blood pH
 Contains receptors for the sense of smell
 Filters inspired air
 Produce sound and rids the body of some water vapors and heat in exhaled air

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

6 Respiration

 The process of inhalation and exhalation of air is called respiration.

 Overall exchange of gases between the atmosphere, blood, and body cells.

 It includes pulmonary ventilation, external respiration and internal respiration.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

7 Structure and function of respiratory organs

 The organs of the respiratory system are:

 Nose
 Pharynx
 Larynx
 Trachea
 Two bronchi
 Bronchioles
 Two lungs

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

8 Upper respiratory tract (Nose)

 The nose is the first respiratory passage through which the inspired air passes.
 The nasal cavity consists of a large irregular cavity divided into two equal passages by a
septum.
 The roof is formed by the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone and the sphenoid bone,
frontal and nasal bone.
 The floor is formed by the roof of the mouth and consists of the hard palate in front and
soft palate behind.
 lined with very vascular ciliated columnar epithelium which contains mucus secreting
cells.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

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 Anterior nostrils are the opening from the exterior into the nasal cavity and posterior nares
are the openings from the nasal cavity into the pharynx.

 Paranasal sinuses are the cavities in the bones of the face and the cranium, containing air.

 The main sinuses are maxillary sinuses in the lateral walls, frontal and sphenoid sinuses in
the roof, ethmoid sinuses in the upper part of the lateral walls.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

10 Functions of nose

It is the:
 passage way of air
 warms the air due to immense vascularity of the mucosa
 moist the air
 filters the air
 Organ of sense of smell
 Projecting conchae increase the surface area, large surface area maximizes warming,
humidification and filtering.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

11 Pharynx

 Pharynx or throat is a funnel-shaped tube about 13cms long, extends from the base of the skull to
the level of the 6th cervical vertebrae.

 Lies behind the nose, mouth and larynx and is wider at its upper end

 Divided into three parts: nasopharynx, oropharynx and laryngopharynx.

 Posterior wall also contains, pharyngeal tonsil (nasopharynx).

 Palatine and sub-lingual tonsils are found in the oropharynx.

 Blood supplies to the pharynx by several branches of the facial artery.

 The venous return is into the facial and internal jugular veins

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

12 Functions of pharynx

 It acts as a passage for air and food.

 There are olfactory nerve endings of the sense of taste in the epithelium of the oral and
pharyngeal part.

 The auditory tube, extending from the nasopharynx to each middle ear, allows air to enter
the middle ear, enable hearing.

 It further warm and moist the air.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

13 Lower respiratory tract (Larynx)

 Larynx or voice box, a short passage way that connects the laryngopharynx with the
trachea.
 Extends from the root of the tongue and hyoid bone to the trachea.
 Larynx wall is composed of nine (9) pieces of cartilage:
 Thyroid, epiglottis and cricoid cartilages singly
 Arytenoid, cuniform and corniculate cartilage in pairs (arytenoid are most important)
 Until puberty there is little difference in the size of the larynx between the sexes.
Thereafter it grows larger in the male, which explains the prominence of the thyroid
cartilage (Adam’s apple) and generally deeper voice.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

14 Larynx

 Thyroid cartilage consists of two flat pieces of hyaline cartilage fused anteriorly.
 Cricoids cartilage lies below the thyroid cartilage, composed of hyaline cartilage and
lines with the ciliated columnar epithelium cells.
 Arytenoids cartilages two roughly pyramid shaped hyaline cartilage, situated on the top
of the broad part of the cricoids cartilage.
 Epiglottis a leaf shaped fibroelastic cartilage, attached to the inner surface of the anterior
wall of the thyroid cartilage.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

15 Vocal cord

 Pair of mucus membrane folds, projects inward from the sides of the larynx, that function
in voice production
 Also called true vocal cord

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

16 Functions of larynx

 It is a passage way for air.

 It also filter, warm and moist the air.

 It also helps in sound production by the vocal cords

 Epiglottis closes off the larynx during swallowing, protecting the lungs from accidental

inhalation of foreign objects.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

17 Trachea

 Trachea or wind pipe, a continuation of the larynx, extends downwards to about the level
of the 5th thoracic vertebrae where it divides at the carnia into the right and left primary
bronchi, one bronchus going to each lung.
 It is 12 cms long and 2 to 2.5 cm wide, located anterior to the esophagus.
 Layers of tracheal wall, deep to superficial are mucosa, submucosa, hyaline cartilage
and adventitia.
 16-20 incomplete, horizontal rings of hyaline cartilage, resemble the letter C, are stacked
on one on the top of another.
 Connective tissue and involuntary muscles join the cartilage, and form the posterior wall
where the rings are incomplete.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

18 Functions of trachea

 It is the passage way of air

 It also warm, moist and filter the air

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

19 bronchi

 At the superior border of the 5th thoracic vertebra, the trachea divides into a right primary
bronchus, which goes into the right lung, and a left primary bronchus, which goes into
the left lung.
 The right bronchus is about 2.5cm long, is more vertical, shorter, and wider than the left (5
cms long).
 As a result, an aspirated object is more likely to enter and lodge in the right primary
bronchus than the left.
 Like the trachea, the primary bronchi contain incomplete rings of the cartilage and lined by
ciliated columnar epithelium.

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 On entering the lungs, the primary bronchi divide to form smaller bronchi- the secondary
bronchi, and the secondary bronchi continues to branch, forming still smaller bronchi
called tertiary bronchi, that divides into bronchioles

 Bronchioles, in turn, branch repeatedly, eventually forming even smaller tubes called
terminal bronchioles. Terminal bronchioles subdivide into microscopic branches called
respiratory bronchioles.

 This extensive branching from the trachea resembles an inverted tree and is commonly
referred to as the Bronchial tree.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

21 Functions of bronchi and bronchioles

 Foreign material such as dust gets stick to the walls of the bronchi and bronchioles because
of the mucus. This prevents dust to enter the alveoli.

 The wave motion of cilia wafts mucus and other particles towards the throat.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

22 Lungs

 lungs are paired cone-shaped organ lying in the thoracic cavity

 They are separated from each other by the heart and other structures in the mediastinum
 Two layers of serous membrane, collectively called pleural membrane, enclose and protect
each lung, superficial layer parietal pleura lines the walls of thoracic cavity, the deep
layer, and the visceral pleura, covers the lungs
 Between the visceral and parietal pleura is a small space, the pleural cavity, which
contains a small amount of lubricating fluid

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 The Apex narrow superior portion of the lung, close to the first rib
 The Base, broad inferior portion of the lung, is concave and lies on the diaphragm
 The surface of the lung lying against the ribs, the Costal surface
 The Medial surface contains a region, the Hilus------ bronchi and blood and lymphatic
vessels enter and exit from lungs
 Right lung is divided into three lobes, superior, middle and inferior
 Left lung is divided into only two lobes, superior and inferior.
 Medially, left lung contains a concavity, the cardiac notch, in which heart lies.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

24 Alveoli

 Complex system of much smaller tubes or bronchioles branch out from bronchi to carry
oxygen to the working part of the lung—the millions of air sacs or Alveoli
 Have thin walls made of simple squamous epithelial cells and surrounded by blood
capillaries
 Gas exchange occurs in the alveoli
 Alveoli surface is covered in a thin lipoprotein layer, called pulmonary surfactant that
prevents them from collapsing during exhalation

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

25 Respiratory muscles
 The main muscles uses in normal respiration are the inter-costal muscle and the
Diaphragm
 During difficult and deep breathing, muscles of neck, shoulders and abdomen are also
involved, called accessory muscles of respiration
 Inter-costal muscles, 11 pairs occupy the spaces between the 12 pairs of ribs
 On respiration the inter costal muscles are pulled upward, the inter costal muscles move
outward when pulled, and chest expansion occurs
 Diaphragm is dome shaped structure that separates the thoracic and abdominal cavity
 On inspiration the diaphragm contract and enlarges the thoracic cavity

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

26 Mechanism of respiration

 Respiration takes place in three basic steps:

1. Pulmonary ventilation: pulmonary ventilation or breathing is the inspiration (inflow) and
expiration (outflow) of air between the atmosphere and the lungs
2. External respiration: Exchange of gases between the air spaces of lungs and blood in
pulmonary capillaries. The blood gains Oxygen and loses carbon dioxide.
3. Internal respiration: Exchange of gases between blood in systemic capillaries and tissue
cells. The blood loses Oxygen and gains carbon dioxide.

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

27 Respiration cycle
 The average respiratory rate is 12 to 15 breaths per minute. The process of respiration
consists of three phases:
 Inspiration
 Expiration
 Pause
 Inspiration At rest, inspiration lasts about 2 seconds, is active process and needs energy
for muscle contraction
 Expiration This process is passive, does not require the energy. At rest expiration lasts
about 3 seconds
 Pause After expiration, there is pause before the next cycle begins

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

28 Regulation of respiration
 Thorax size is altered by the action of respiratory muscles, which contract and relax as a
result of nerve impulses transmitted to them from centers in the brain
 Medulla oblongata and pons of the brain stem are called respiratory centers
 Respiratory center neurons functionally divided into three areas:
1. Medullary rhythmicity area control basic rhythm of respiration
2. Pneumotaxic area (Pons) limits the duration of inspiration thus facilitate the onset of
expiration
3. Apneustic area (Pons) coordinates the transition between inspiration and expiration

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

29 Lungs volumes and capacities
 Lung volumes are also known as respiratory volumes. It refers to the volume of gas in
the lungs at a given time during the respiratory cycle. Lung capacities are derived from a
summation of different lung volumes.
 Four standard lung volumes are:

1. Tidal volume (TV): amount of air passes into and out of the lungs during one breath, It is
measured in milliliters approx. 500 mls
Minute volume (MV): amount of air passes into and out of the lungs in one minute
 Minute volume = Tidal volume x Respiratory rate
2. Residual volume (RV): Even after the forceful expiration considerable air remains in the
lungs to prevent the collapse of alveoli, this is called residual volume

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3. Expiratory reserve volume ERV is the additional amount of air that can be exhaled
beyond a normal exhalation.

4. Inspiratory reserve volume IRV is the additional amount of air that can be inhaled
beyond a normal inhalation

Lung capacities:
5. Inspiratory capacity IC is the amount of air that can be inhaled after the end of a normal
expiration. It is equal to the sum of TV and IRV

6. Vital capacity VC is the amount of air that can be inhaled or exhaled during a respiratory
cycle. It is the sum of the Inspiratory reserve volume, tidal volume, and expiratory reserve
volume

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 Functional residual capacity FRC Is the sum of the residual volume and expiratory

reserve volume.

 Total lung capacity TLC is a measurement of the total amount of air that the lung can

hold. It is the sum of the residual volume, expiratory reserve volume, tidal volume, and

inspiratory reserve volume

Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System

32 References

Torotra, G.J. (2002). Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology (9 th ed). New York:
Happer &Row.

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Anatomy and Physiology of Respiratory System