RESPIRATORY

SYSTEM
 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

n CONDUCTING
PORTION
n RESPIRATORY
PORTION
SKELETAL MUSCLES AND BONES ARE REQUIRED
FOR RESPIRATORY SYSTEM FUNCTION

RIBS

STERNUM
INTERCOSTAL MUSCLES

DIAPHRAGM
GENERAL ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN
OF CONDUCTING PORTION
OF RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

MUCOSA
Luminal sheet epithelium
(typically “respiratory epithelium”)
Lamina propria (loose FECT)

SUBMUCOSA (mod. dense FECT)
(not always present or merged
with lamina propria, serous or mixed glands may
be present in the lamina propria or submucosa)

“MUSCULARIS” EXTERNA (may be smooth
muscle, cartilage, or bone)

ADVENTITIA or SEROSA (absent in nasal cavity)
 CELL TYPES FOUND IN
“RESPIRATORY EPITHELIUM”
PREDOMINANT CELL TYPES

Ciliated columnar cells – move
mucus

Goblet cells – secrete mucus

Basal cells – replace damaged cells

LESS COMMON CELL TYPES

Brush cells – sensory receptor cells

Dense core granule cells (Small granule
cells) – enteroendocrine cells

Clara cells (trachea and bronchi) – protein
secreting cells, secrete surfactant
 PREDOMINANT CELL TYPES
FOUND IN “RESPIRATORY EPITHELIUM”

Ciliated columnar cell Goblet cell (Mucous cell)

Basal cell

Source: Lentz. 1971. Cell Fine Structure.

 “RESPIRATORY EPITHELIUM”
Ciliated cells

Goblet cell/ Brush

Mucous cell cells

Basal cell Small granule cell

Source: Weiss. 1983. Histology. Cell and Tissue Biology. 5th Edition.
(surfactant)
 “RESPIRATORY” EPITHELIUM

Ciliated cells

Goblet cells Cilia

Small
Basement membrane
granule
Basal cell cell
 EPITHELIA OF REGIONS WITHIN
NASAL CAVITIES

VESTIBULE or
OLFACTORY
NOSTRIL SEGMENT
Stratified squamous
sheet epithelium
RESPIRATORY

RESPIRATORY SEGMENT

SEGMENT
”Respiratory NOSTRIL
epithelium”

OLFACTORY
SEGMENT
Olfactory
epithelium
NASAL CAVITIES/ NASAL PASSAGEWAYS

OEp = olfactory
epithelium
OM = olfactory
mucosa
Rep = “respiratory
epithelium”
EB = bone

Source: Plate 88, Figure 1 in Ross et al. 1995. Histology. A Text and Atlas. 3rd Edition.
 CELL TYPES FOUND IN
OLFACTORY EPITHELIUM

n Sustentacular or
supporting cells
n Olfactory cells
n Basal cells
n Brush cells
Mucosa of the Olfactory Segment
of the Nasal Cavity
 Mucosa of the Olfactory Segment
of the Nasal Cavity
SC = supportive
cells
OC = olfactory
neuron cell bodies
BC = basal cells
BG = olfactory
glands (serous)
N = peripheral
nerves
V = blood vessels
C = capillaries

Source: Plate 88, Figure 2 in Ross et al. 1995. Histology. A Text and Atlas. 3rd Edition.
NASAL CAVITIES/NASAL PASSAGEWAYS
are separated from oral cavity by PALATE

OLFACTORY
SEGMENT

RESPIRATORY
SEGMENT

NOSTRIL

HARD PALATE SOFT PALATE

Modified from: Figure 18.1 in Ross et al. 1995. Histology. A Text and Atlas. 3rd Edition.
 SOFT PALATE
NASAL
ORAL CAVITY
CAVITY side
side

“Respiratory epithelium”
of Nasal Mucosa

Source: Hammersen. 1980. Histology.

 PHARYNX

”Respiratory
epithelium”

Stratified squamous
sheet epithelium

Modified from: Figure 18.1 in Ross et al. 2003. Histology. A Text and Atlas. 4th Edition.
 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
n NASAL CAVITIES/
NASAL PASSAGEWAYS
n PHARYNX -
nasopharynx, oropharynx
n LARYNX
n TRACHEA
n EXTRAPULMONARY
BRONCHI
n LUNGS
 LARYNX and TRACHEA

bone

cartilage
Food

cartilage

cartilage

Surface View Mid-longitudinal Section

Source: Leeson & Leeson. 1981. Histology. 4th Edition.
 EPIGLOTTIS of LARYNX
Stratified squamous
epithelium
Elastic Cartilage

Stratified squamous
or pseudostratified
columnar epithelium
Source: Hammersen. 1980. Histology. A Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology and Microscopic Anatomy. 2nd Edition.
 LARYNX
Epiglottis

Stratified squamous
sheet epithelium

Ventricular fold/
false vocal cord

Vocal fold/
true vocal cord

Pseudostratified ciliated
columnar sheet epithelium

Source: Hammersen. 1980. Histology. A Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology and Microscopic Anatomy. 2nd Edition.
 LARYNX
Epiglottis

Cartilaginous plate in
“Muscularis” Externa
Intrinsic glands in
Lamina propria of
Striated skeletal Mucosa
muscle tissue in
“Muscularis” Externa
Vocal ligament
Vocalis muscle

Cartilaginous plate in
“Muscularis” Externa

Source: Hammersen. 1980. Histology. A Color Atlas of Cytology, Histology and Microscopic Anatomy. 2nd Edition.
 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
n NASAL CAVITIES/
NASAL PASSAGEWAYS
n PHARYNX -
nasopharynx, oropharynx
n LARYNX
n TRACHEA
n EXTRAPULMONARY
BRONCHI
n LUNGS
 Trachea

Mucosa
“Respiratory” epithelium (+/- Clara cells)
Lamina propria of loose FECT

Submucosa
Loose to moderately denseFECT,
denser than lamina propria,
may contain compound tubuloacinar glands

“Muscularis”externa
Hyaline cartilages (horseshoe-shaped “rings”)
Smooth muscle across open ends of cartilages
Moderately dense FECT connects adjacent rings

Adventitia
Loose FECT
 TRACHEA

Adventitia “Muscularis”
Externa
luminal
epithelium

in submucosa

Mucosa

(trachealis muscle)

Source: Leeson & Leeson. 1981. Histology. 4th Edition.

TRACHEA
TRACHEA
 LUMINAL EPITHELIUM OF TRACHEA
(“Respiratory” Epithelium)
Ciliated cells

Goblet cells Cilia

Small
Basement membrane
granule
Basal cell cell
 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
n NASAL CAVITIES/
NASAL PASSAGEWAYS
n PHARYNX -
nasopharynx, oropharynx
n LARYNX
n TRACHEA
n EXTRAPULMONARY
BRONCHI
n LUNGS
 Bronchus (very similar to Trachea)

Mucosa
“Respiratory” epithelium (+/- Clara cells)
Lamina propria of loose FECT

Submucosa
Loose to moderately denseFECT,
denser than lamina propria,
may contain compound tubuloacinar glands

“Muscularis”externa
Hyaline cartilages (horseshoe-shaped “rings”)
Smooth muscle across open ends of cartilages
Moderately dense FECT connects adjacent rings

Adventitia
Loose FECT
 RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

PULMONARY LOBULE
Source: Leeson & Leeson. 1981. Histology. 4th Edition.
 ORGANIZATION OF LUNG

3-9 = intrapulmonary bronchi

10 = large bronchiole
tb = terminal bronchiole
rb = respiratory bronchiole
ad = alveolar duct
as = alveolar sac
a = alveolus
l = lobule
PULMONARY LOBULE
Source: Leeson & Leeson. 1981. Histology. 4th Edition.
 HISTOLOGICAL FEATURES
OF PULMONARY COMPONENTS
ORGANIZATION
OF LUNG

Source: Gartner & Hiatt. 1994.

Color Atlas of Histology. 2nd Edition.
ORGANIZATION OF LUNG

alveoli

Source: Freeman & Bracegirdle. 1976. An Advanced Atlas of Histology.

 ORGANIZATION OF LUNG

3-9 = intrapulmonary bronchi

PULMONARY LOBULE
Source: Leeson & Leeson. 1981. Histology. 4th Edition.
 Intrapulmonary Bronchi

Mucosa
“Respiratory” epithelium (+/- Clara cells)
Lamina propria of loose FECT

“Muscularis”
Spiral bundles of smooth muscle

Submucosa
Loose to occasionally moderately dense FECT,
may contain compound tubuloacinar glands

“Muscularis”externa
Hyaline cartilages (horseshoe-shaped “rings”)
Smooth muscle across open ends of cartilages
Moderately dense FECT connects adjacent rings

Adventitia
Loose FECT
 INTRAPULMONARY BRONCHUS
Mucosa

Bronchiole
branching off
of bronchus Intrinsic glands in
Lamina Propria

FECT
Cartilaginous plate in
“Muscularis” Externa

Source: Jungueira et al. 1975. Basic Histology. 4th Edition.

An Intrapulmonary Bronchus

Loose FECT

Pseudostratified Columnar Epithelium

Hyaline Cartilage

Smooth Muscle
 BRONCHIOLES
<1 mm in diameter
No cartilage in wall

MUCOSA
Luminal sheet epithelium
(ranges from pseudostratified
ciliated columnar in large
bronchioles to simple
cuboidal with mixed ciliated
and Clara cells in terminal
bronchioles)
Lamina propria = loose FECT

“MUSCULARIS” = bundles of
PULMONARY LOBULE smooth muscle
Source: Leeson & Leeson. 1981. Histology. 4th Edition.
 TYPES OF BRONCHIOLES

n LARGE BRONCHIOLES
Pseudostratified ciliated columnar
sheet epithelium to simple columnar
sheet epithelium

n TERMINAL BRONCHIOLES
Mainly simple cuboidal sheet
epithelium

n RESPIRATORY BRONCHIOLES
Simple cuboidal sheet epithelium
(mainly Clara cells)
10 = large bronchiole
tb = terminal bronchiole
rb = respiratory bronchiole Source: Leeson & Leeson. 1981. Histology. 4th Edition.
 CELL TYPES FOUND IN
LUMINAL EPITHELIUM OF BRONCHIOLES
Ciliated cell Clara cell Ciliated cell

n Ciliated cells
n Basal cells
n Goblet cells
n Brush cells
n Small granule cells
n Clara cells

Source: Ross et al. 1995. Histology. A Text and Atlas. 3rd Edition.
 BRONCHIOLE

Source: Burkitt et al. 1993. Wheater’s Functional Histology. A Text and Colour Atlas.
Alveoli are where
the action is (at
least in terms of
gas exchange)
ORGANIZATION OF LUNG

alveoli

Source: Freeman & Bracegirdle. 1976. An Advanced Atlas of Histology.

 ALVEOLI or AIR SPACES

AS = alveolar sac
A = alveolus
 ALVEOLI (AIR SPACES)

Occur in the walls of

Respiratory bronchioles

Alveolar ducts

Alveolar sacs

CONSIST OF:

Alveolar Epithelium

Thin region of
highly vascularized FECT
ad = alveolar duct
as = alveolar sac
a = alveolus Source: Leeson & Leeson. 1981. Histology. 4th Edition.
 CELL TYPES FOUND IN
ALVEOLAR EPITHELIUM

nType I Pneumocytes [gas exchange]

nType II Pneumocytes [secrete
surfactant (mix of proteins and lipids)]
nBrush Cells [sensory receptors]
nPulmonary Macrophages
[phagocytosis]
 CELL TYPES FOUND IN
ALVEOLAR EPITHELIUM
(as observed at TEM level)

Type I Pneumocyte Type II Pneumocyte

(and adjacent capillary)

Source: Lentz. 1971. Cell Fine Structure.

Alveolar Wall Structure – Type I Cells
Lung Injected to Show Capillaries
Capillaries (red structures)

Alveoli
ALVEOLI ARE SITES AIR
OF GAS EXCHANGE
BLOOD
BLOOD

RBC
Alveolar Wall
Structure –
Type II or
Great Alveolar
Cells
 CELL TYPES
FOUND IN
ALVEOLI
(as observed at the LM level)

In addition to Type I and Type

II alveolar cells
(pneumocytes), macrophages
are frequently observed
migrating along the alveolar
surface. Macrophages are
frequently detached from the
surface during processing.
Criteria for Classifying Intrapulmonary Structures
Structure Lining Epithelium Other Features

Bronchi pseudostratified hyaline cartilage in wall

columnar usually + smooth muscle
Bronchioles pseudostratified no hyaline cartilage in wall
columnar to smooth muscle present
simple cuboidal,
no squamous
Respiratory >50% cuboidal or little or no smooth muscle,
Bronchioles columnar, <50% usually some loose FECT
squamous (but
squamous present)
Alveolar Ducts <50% cuboidal, no smooth muscle, loose
Alveolar Sacs >50% squamous FECT sparse or absent
ALVEOLI & BRONCHIOLES

TB = terminal bronchiole
RB = respiratory bronchiole
AD = alveolar duct
AS = alveolar sac