GROUP ONE

PRESENTATION
ANATOMICAL REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF THE
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM.
 ANATOMY OF THE
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
 DEFINATION

RESPIRATION
 theprocess in living organisms of taking in
oxygen from the surroundings and giving
out carbon dioxide (external respiration).
Components Of The Respiratory System
 Consists of an upper respiratory tract (nose to larynx) and a
lower respiratory tract (trachea onwards) .
 Conducting portion transports air:- includes the nose, nasal
cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and progressively smaller
airways, from the primary bronchi to the terminal
bronchioles.
 Respiratory portion that carries out gas exchange:-
composed of small airways called respiratory
bronchioles and alveolar ducts as well as air sacs called
alveoli.
Functions Of The Respiratory System

1. Supplies the body with oxygen and disposes of

carbon dioxide.
2. Filters inspired air.
3. Produces sound.
4. Contains receptors for smell.
5. Rids the body of some excess water and heat.
6. Helps regulate blood pH.
 THE NOSE.
 The nose is an olfactory and respiratory structure that
sticks out from the middle of your face.
 THE nose is divided into the external part and the nasal
cavity (internal part)
 Bone: The hard bridge at the top of your nose is made
of bone.
Nasal cavity (Interior part of the nose)

Bones: nasal Nerdy

maxilla Medical
sphenoid Students
vomer Very
palatine Pa
lacrimal L
ethmoid E

(mnemonic: Nerdy Medical Students are

often Very PaLE)
Hair and cilia: Hair and cilia (tiny, hairlike structures) inside your nose trap
dirt and particles. Then they move those particles toward your nostrils, where
they can be sneezed out or wiped away.
Lateral walls (outer walls): The outer walls of your nose are made of
cartilage and covered in skin. The walls form your nasal cavities and your
nostrils.
Nasal cavities: Your nose has two nasal cavities, hollow spaces where air flows
in and out. They are lined with mucous membranes.
Nerve cells: These cells communicate with your brain to provide a sense of
smell.
Nostrils (nares): These are the openings to the nasal cavities that are on the
face.
Septum: The septum is made of bone and firm cartilage. It runs down the
center of your nose and separates the two nasal cavities.
Sinuses: You have four pairs of sinuses. These air-filled pockets are connected
to your nasal cavities. They produce the mucus that keeps your nose moist.
Turbinates (conchae): There are three pairs of turbinates located along the
sides of both nasal cavities. These folds inside your nose help warm and
moisten air after you breathe it in and help with nasal drainage.
The nose has 5 functions:

1. It serves as an air passageway.

2. It warms and moistens inhaled air.
3. Its cilia and mucous membrane trap dust,
pollen, bacteria, and foreign matter.
4. It contains olfactory receptors, which smell
odors.
5. It aids in phonation and the quality of
voice.
 THE PHARYNX
 Also know as the throat.
 Pharynx is a muscular, membranous tube.
 It is about 5 inches i.e., 12cm to 14cm,entering becomes from the base of the skull
to the level of the 6th cervical vertebra. It lies behind the nose, mouth and larynx
and is wider at its upper end.


REGIONS OF THE PHARYNX:- Nasopharynx ; behind the nose

Oropharynx ; behind the mouth

Laryngopharynx (hypopharynx).:behind the
larynx
There are 5 openings into the
pharynx. In the nasopharynx, two
openings from the Eustachian tubes
of the ear, and two openings from the
posterior nares of the nose. In the
oropharynx is one opening from the
mouth.

The pharynx also contains 3 pairs of

tissues that are part of the lymphatic
system:
-the pharyngeal tonsils…
-the adenoids
-the palatine tonsils
-the lingual tonsils
 The Functions of The Pharynx

The pharynx has 4 functions:

1. Serves as a passageway for air
2. Serves as a passageway for food
3. Aids in phonation by changing its shape.
4. Warming and humidifying air
 Larynx
 Located at the upper end of the trachea, below the root
of the tongue and hyoid bone. It is lined with mucous
membrane and vocal cords, which produce sound.
 Has several cartilages, mainly;
1. The thyroid cartilage which is larger in the male,
allowing longer vocal cords and contributing to a deeper
male voice
2. The epiglottis covers the entrance of the larynx while
swallowing, to avoid choking
3. The cricoid cartilage contains the vocal cords.

Functions of The Larynx;

Production of sound
Speech
Protection of the lower respiratory Passageway
for air
Humidify, filtering and warming
 Trachea
 The trachea or windpipe is a continuation of the larynx
and extends downwards to about the level of the 5th
thoracic vertebra where it divides (bifurcates) at the
carina into the right and left bronchi, one bronchus
going to each lung.
 It is approximately 10 to 11 cm long and lies mainly in
the median plane in front of the esophagus.
 Anterior and lateral walls of the trachea supported by
15 to 20 C-shaped tracheal cartilages.
Cartilage rings reinforce and
provide rigidity to the
tracheal wall to ensure
that the trachea remains
open at all times.

Posterior part of tube

lined by trachealis muscle
and ciliated
pseudostratified columnar
epithelium.
Function of the Trachea;

• Support and patency. The cartilages keep the

trachea permanently open but the soft tissue allows
for flexibility to move the head and neck without
kinking the trachea
• Mucociliary escalator clears the trapped particles
• Cough reflex is protective of the airway. The
nerve endings in the larynx, trachea and the
bronchi are sensitive to irritation.
• Warming, humidifying and filtering
 Bronchi

 The two primary bronchi are formed when the trachea divides at
the level of the 5th thoracic vertebra
 The right bronchus is wider, shorter and more vertical than the
left bronchus and is therefore the more likely of the two to
become obstructed by an inhaled foreign body.
 It is approximately 2.5 cm long. After entering the right lung at
the hilum it divides into three branches, one to each lobe. Each
branch then subdivides into numerous smaller branches.
 They are lined with ciliated columnar epithelium.
 The bronchi
progressively subdivide
into bronchioles, terminal
bronchioles, respiratory
bronchioles, alveolar
ducts and finally, alveoli.

.
Functions
1.They help to warm, moisturize and clean
the inhaled air before distributing it to the
lung's gas-exchanging zone.
2.These are lined with ciliated cells and many
interspersed mucus-secreting goblet cells,
which are characteristic of the respiratory
epithelium
Alveoli
They are the tiniest balloon-
shaped compositions in the
respiratory system. Their
walls are very thin, which
permits oxygen and carbon
dioxide to pass readily
between the capillaries and
alveoli.
 Functions:
1.It is the site where the blood and lungs
exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen at the
time of breathing in and out.

2.The oxygen breathed in passes via the

alveoli and into the blood and mediates to the
tissues all through the body.
3. The carbon dioxide passes through the blood from the tissues of
the body and passes via the alveoli to be breathed out.
4.Type I pneumocyte (squamous alveolar cells with thin membrane;
allow gas exchange)
5.Type II pneumocyte (repair alveolar epithelium, secrete pulmonary
surfactant)
6. Alveolar macrophages are the most abundant innate immune cells
in the distal lung parenchyma, located on the luminal surface of the
alveolar space. They are the first to encounter incoming pathogens
and pollutants and to help orchestrate the initiation and resolution of
the immune response in the lung.

.
 Lungs

 Each lung has a conical shape. Its wide, concave base rests upon
the muscular diaphragm.
 Its superior region called the apex projects superiorly to a point
that is slightly superior and posterior to the clavicle.
 Both lungs are bordered by the thoracic wall anteriorly, laterally,
and posteriorly, and supported by the rib cage.
 Toward the midline, the lungs are separated from each other by
the mediastinum.
 The relatively broad, rounded surface in contact with the
thoracic wall is called the costal surface of the lung.
Lobes of the lungs;
Left lung is divided into
2 lobes by oblique fissure
and has cardiac notch
accommodates the heart.
Right lung is divided into
3 lobes by oblique and
horizontal fissure 
located more superiorly
in the body due to liver
on right side.
Pleura and the pleural cavity
The pleura consists of
a closed sac of serous
membrane (one for
each lung) which
contains a small
amount of serous fluid.
The lung is invaginated
into this sac so that it
forms two layers: one
adheres to the lung
and the other to the
wall of the thoracic
cavity
The visceral pleura.
This is adherent to the lung, covering each lobe and passing
into the fissures which separate them.
The parietal pleura.
This is adherent to the inside of the chest wall and the
thoracic surface of the diaphragm. It remains detached from
the adjacent structures in the mediastinum and is continuous
with the visceral pleura round the edges of the hilum.
The pleural cavity.
This is only a potential space. In health, the two layers of
pleura are separated by only a thin film of serous fluid which
allows them to glide over each other, preventing friction
between them during breathing. The serous fluid is secreted
by the epithelial cells of the membrane.
The pleural membranes produce a thin, serous pleural fluid that
circulates in the pleural cavity and acts as a lubricant, ensuring
minimal friction during breathing.
Muscles that ASSIST with respiration
The scalenes help increase thoracic cavity dimensions by
elevating the first and second ribs during forced inhalation.
The ribs elevate upon contraction of the external intercostal,
thereby increasing the transverse dimensions of the thoracic
cavity during inhalation.
Contraction of the internal intercostal depresses the ribs, but
this only occurs during forced exhalation.
Normal exhalation requires no active muscular effort.
Other accessory muscles assist with respiratory activities.  The
pectoralis minor, serratus anterior, and sternocleidomastoid
help with forced inhalation,  while the abdominal
muscles(external and internal oblique, transversus abdominis,
and rectus abdominis) assist in active exhalation.
HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF THE RESPIRATORY

SYSTEM.
Evaluate Vital Signs

Evaluate the respiratory rate and pulse

oximetry readings to verify the patient is stable
before proceeding with the physical exam. The
normal range of a respiratory rate for an adult
is 12-20 breaths per minute at rest, and the
normal range for oxygen saturation of the
blood is 94–98% (SpO₂)[3] Bradypnea is less than
12 breaths per minute, and tachypnea is
greater than 20 breaths per minute.
Inspection
Inspection during a focused respiratory assessment
includes observation of level of consciousness,
breathing rate, pattern and effort, skin color, chest
configuration, and symmetry of expansion.
Assess the level of consciousness. The patient should
be alert and cooperative. Hypoxemia (low blood
levels of oxygen) or hypercapnia (high blood levels of
carbon dioxide) can cause a decreased level of
consciousness, irritability, anxiousness, restlessness, or
confusion.
Obtain the respiratory rate over a full minute. The
normal range for the respiratory rate of an adult is 12-
20 breaths per minute.
Observe the breathing pattern, including the
rhythm, effort, and use of accessory muscles.
Breathing effort should be nonlabored and in a
regular rhythm. Observe the depth of respiration
and note if the respiration is shallow or deep.
Pursed-lip breathing, nasal flaring, audible
breathing, intercostal retractions, anxiety, and use
of accessory muscles are signs of respiratory
difficulty. Inspiration should last half as long as
expiration unless the patient is active, in which case
the inspiration-expiration ratio increases to 1:1.
Observe pattern of expiration and patient position. Patients
who experience difficulty expelling air, such as those with
emphysema, may have prolonged expiration cycles. Some
patients may experience difficulty with breathing
specifically when lying down. This symptom is known as
orthopnea. Additionally, patients who are experiencing
significant breathing difficulty may experience most relief
while in a “tripod” position. This can be achieved by having
the patient sit at the side of the bed with legs dangling
toward the floor. The patient can then rest their arms on an
overbed table to allow for maximum lung expansion. This
position mimics the same position you might take at the end
of running a race when you lean over and place your hands
on your knees to “catch your breath.”