Saint Louis University

School of Nursing

Name: Date:
Section/Group: Score:
54

CN 111L: Anatomy and Physiology

Activity 17: The Respiratory System and Pulmonary Ventilation

I. Learning outcomes: At the end of the activity, the learner will be able to:
a. Locate and identify the organs of the respiratory system.
b. Describe the structure and function of the respiratory system organs.
c. Trace the path of air from the nose to the alveoli.
d. Explain how changes in thoracic and lung volumes and lung pressures result
in pulmonary ventilation.
e. Define and measure or calculate lung volumes and capacities.
f. Relate involvement of the respiratory organs to diseases or abnormalities in
the respiratory system

II. Materials:
Paper and pen Thorax model
References Upper airway model/chart
Spirometer Stethoscope

III. Laboratory Activity:

A. Structure Familiarization. Identify with your laboratory instructor the
parts of the upper and lower respiratory tract, alveoli and give their
functions.

B. Physiology
Step 1: Take the respiratory rate of your partner in one full minute and record.
Step 2: Let your subject jog in place for 3 minutes. Then record the respiratory rate
– Her respiratory rate is 18 breaths per minute.

Step 3: Climb at least three flights of stairs. Record again the respiratory rate –
After climbing 3 flights her respiratory rate was 25 per minute.

B.1. What are the accessory muscles of respiration that your partner used
immediately after the strenuous activity. After climbing she used her
sternonucleidomastoid muscles
Step 4: Using the stethoscope, listen to the lung sound of your partner following
the figure below.

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Describe the lung sound that you hear from your partner’s lungs. Her lung sound
was clear and no signs of abnormal lungs sound such as crackling and high pitched
breath sounds.

As the stethoscope move down, describe your partner’s lung sound in terms of
loudness (1 point) As the stethoscope moves down the lung sound becomes louder.

Questions:
1. Based on the above data gathered, what conclusion can you make? (1 point
each)
a. In terms of respiratory rate Respiratory rate is increased after doing
strenuous activities and goes back to normal after few minutes of resting.

b. In terms of use of accessory muscles After doing strenuous activities an

individual makes use of her accessory muscles to compensate with
increase heart rate and respiratory rate.

c. Why should accessory muscles be used during or after a strenuous

activity? (2 points if conclusion is complete; 1 point if incomplete; and 0
point if no conclusion) This helps to push the diaphragm further into the
thorax, pushing more air out. In addition,  accessory muscles (primarily
the internal intercostals) help to compress the rib cage, which also
reduces the volume of the thoracic cavity.

d. Give at least 5 factors that can cause an increase or decrease in

respiratory rate? (5 points)
 Age, children breaths faster than adults
 Sleep apnea
 Nervousness, anxiety, excitement (emotions)
 After doing strenuous activities
 Congestive heart failure

C. Lung Volume (LV) versus Lung Capacity (LC)

Lung volume is directly measured by a spirometer while lung capacity is
calculated by combining 2 or 3 lung volumes.
Step 1: Identify with your laboratory instructor the parts of a spirometer. What is
the function of the spirometer? (1 point) Spirometer measures the volume of air
inspired and expired by the lungs.
Questions:
1. Describe the types of LV and LC. Include normal values. (8 points)
Types of Lung Volume Types of Lung Capacity
Tidal Volume (TV) Vital capacity (VC)
The normal volume of air displaced The maximum amount of air a person
between normal inhalation and can expel from the lungs after a

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 exhalation when extra effort is not maximum inhalation. A normal adult
applied, has a vital capacity between 3 and 5
approximately 500 mL per inspiration or litres.
7 mL/kg of body mass

Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV) Inspiratory Capacity (IC)

The additional amount of air that can be
inhaled after a normal inspiration
(tidal volume), 3000 mL in males and
2100 mL in females
The maximum volume of air that can
be inspired after reaching the end of a
normal, quiet expiration. It is the sum
of the tidal volume and the inspiratory
reserve volume. about 3,600 ml, is the
maximum amount of air that can be
inspired

Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV) Functional Residual Capacity (FRC)

The amount of extra air — above
abnormal breath — exhaled during a
forceful breath out. The average
ERV volume is about 1100 mL in males
and 800 mL in females.
The amount of gas left in the lungs
after normal expiration. This is about
2.5 L in the average-sized adult or 35
mL/kg.

Residual Volume (RV) Total Lung Capacity (TLC)

A=Amount of air that remains in a  The volume of air present in the chest
person's lungs after fully exhaling. after full inspiration. About 6,000 mL,
Normal adult value is averaged at is the maximum amount of air that can
1200ml(20‐25 ml/kg) fill the lungs.

Step 2: Your instructor will blow the spirometer and note the level of the three
balls. (8 points)
Lung Volume ml
TV 500 ml
IRV 2100 ml What is the implication of the result? (1
ERV 700 ml point)
RV 1200 ml
Lung ml There is no lung abnormalities as results
Capacity show normal values.
VC 3300 ml
IC 2600 ml
FRC 1900 ml
TLC 4500 ml

2. Give 3 respiratory abnormalities that indicate the use of spirometer (3

points)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Asthma

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Pneumonia

IV. Questions for Research:

1. Using a schematic diagram, trace the pathway of air from the nose to the
alveoli (5 points if diagram is complete; 3 points if incomplete; 1 point if 1
data is incorrect; and 0 point if no diagram)

Nose / Mouth Trachea Bronchi

Alveoli Bronchioles

2. Differentiate parietal from the visceral pleura. (2 points if answer is

complete; 1 point if incomplete; and 0 point if no answer) Pareital pleura is
on the internal surface of ribs or costal muscle while visceral pleura is
adhered to the external surface of the lungs.

2.1. Describe the pleural pressure in the pleural cavity. (1 point) During
quiet breathing, the pleural pressure is negative; that is, it is below
atmospheric pressure.

2.2. Give 3 respiratory abnormalities (condition) that may happen to a

patient with disturbed pleural pressure. (3 points)
o Pneumothorax
o Hemothorax
o Pleural effusion

3. How do buffers of the lungs regulate respiration? (2 points if answer is

complete; 1 point if incomplete; and 0 point if no answer) The buffer is
chemical system that prevents a radical change in fluid pH by dampening the
change in hydrogen ion concentrations in the case of excess acid or base.

3.1. How is blood pH maintained by the respiratory system? (2 points if

answer is complete; 1 point if incomplete; and 0 point if no answer) The
respiratory tract adjusts the blood pH upward in minutes by exhaling
CO2 from the body. The renal system can also adjust blood pH through the
excretion of hydrogen ions (H+) and the conservation of bicarbonate

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 4. During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts (downward/upward). (1 point)
Downward

5. What is a SURFACTANT? (1 point) A fluid secreted by the cells of the alveoli

(the tiny air sacs in the  lungs) that serves to reduce the surface tension of
pulmonary fluids.

5.1. Function (1 point) It lowers the surface tension at the air/liquid

interface within the alveoli of the lung.

5.2. While the fetus is inside the womb, at what age of gestation is the
surfactant sufficient to prepare the fetus to survive the external
environment? (1 point)  26 weeks of pregnancy.

5.3 Give 1 effect of insufficient surfactant to the lungs (1 point) The tiny
alveoli collapse with each breath. The  baby will work harder and harder at
breathing, trying to reinflate the collapsed airways. As the  baby's lung
function decreases, less oxygen is taken in and more carbon dioxide builds
up in the blood.

6. Describe how spinal cord injury affects the normal rhythm of respiration.
Specify the spinal nerves affected (2 points if answer is complete; 1 point if
incomplete; and 0 point if no answer) If the injury affect the neural circuitry
commanding the activation of the diaphragm,so are the intercostal and
abdominal muscles and without the use of these muscles, a person cannot
breathe as easily thus affecting the breathing of an individual.

V. References: (2 points if reference/s is/are in APA format. 1 point if reference/s

is/are not in APA format. 0 point if no reference)

BCcampus(n.d) 184  26.4 Acid-Base Balance Retrieved November 16, 2019 from
https://opentextbc.ca/anatomyandphysiology/chapter/26-4-acid-base-balance/

Boston Medical Center (n.d) Pleural diseases Retrieved November 16, 2019 from
https://www.bmc.org/pleural-diseases

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