Function of the Respiratory System
 Oversees gas exchanges between the
blood and external environment
 Passageways to the lungs purify, warm,
and humidify the incoming air
 Traps particulate matter in the mucus and
eliminate it by coughing or swallowing
Organs of the Respiratory system
 Nose
 Pharynx
 Larynx
 Trachea
 Bronchi
 Lungs
(alveoli)
Upper Respiratory Tract
Nose
 Nasal cavity divided by septum
 Lateral walls have conchae
 Olfactory receptors found on
superior surface
 Cavity is lined with respiratory mucosa
 Moistens air
 Traps incoming foreign particles
 Cavity is separated from the oral cavity by
 Anterior hard palate (bone)
 Posterior soft palate (muscle)
Pharynx (Throat)
 Muscular passage from nasal cavity to
larynx
 Three regions of the pharynx
 Nasopharynx – superior region
behind nasal cavity
 Oropharynx – middle region
behind mouth
 Laryngopharynx – inferior region
attached to larynx
Structures of the Pharynx
 Auditory tubes enter the nasopharynx
 Tonsils of the pharynx
 Pharyngeal tonsil (adenoids) in the
nasopharynx
 Palatine tonsils in the oropharynx
 Lingual tonsils at the base of the
tongue
Larynx (Voice Box)
 Thyroid cartilage
 Adam’s apple
 Plays a role in speech
 Routes air and food into proper channels
Structures of the Larynx
 Epiglottis
 Routes food to the larynx and air
toward the trachea
 “Guardian of airway”
 Glottis – opening between vocal cords
 Vocal cords (vocal folds)
 Vibrate to create sound (speech)
Trachea (Windpipe)  Lined with ciliated mucosa
 Expel mucus loaded with dust and
other debris away from lungs
 Walls are reinforced with C-shaped
hyaline cartilage
Primary Bronchi
 Right bronchus is wider, shorter,
and straighter than left
 Bronchi subdivide into smaller
and smaller branches
 All but the smallest branches have
reinforcing cartilage
 Tracheobronchial tree

Bronchioles
 Smallest branches of the bronchi
 Terminal bronchioles end in alveoli

Lungs
 Apex is near the clavicle, base rests on the
diaphragm
 Each lung is divided into lobes by fissures
 Left lung – two lobes
 Right lung – three lobes
Coverings of the Lungs
 Pulmonary pleura covers the lung surface
  Parietal pleura
 visceral
 Pleural fluid fills the space between layers
 Pleural space has negative pressure

Events of Respiration
 Pulmonary ventilation – moving air in and
out of the lungs
Respiratory Zone
 Respiratory gas transport – transport of
 Structures oxygen and carbon dioxide via the
 Respiratory bronchioles bloodstream

 Alveolar duct
 Alveoli
 Site of gas exchange

 External respiration – gas exchange

between pulmonary blood and alveoli
 Internal respiration – gas exchange
Alveoli (Air Sacs) between blood and tissue cells in systemic
capillaries
 Site of gas exchange
 Squamous epithelium lining alveolar walls
 Pulmonary capillaries cover external
surfaces of alveoli

Mechanics of Breathing (Pulmonary Ventilation)

 Completely mechanical process
 “Volume changes lead to pressure
changes, which lead to the flow of gases
Respiratory Membrane (Air-Blood Barrier)
to equalize pressure.”
 Two phases
  Inspiration – flow of air into lung 
 Expiration – air leaving lung
Inspiration
 Diaphragm and intercostal muscles
contract
 The size of the thoracic cavity increases
 External air is pulled into the lungs due to
an increase in intrapulmonary volume

Non respiratory Air Movements

 Can be caused by reflexes or voluntary
actions
Expiration  Examples
 Largely a passive process, which depends  Cough and sneeze – clears lungs of
on natural lung elasticity debris
 As muscles relax, air is pushed out of the  Laughing
lungs
 Crying
 Forced expiration can be a mechanical
process  Yawn
 Hiccup
Respiratory Volumes and Capacities
 Many factors that affect respiratory
capacity
 A person’s size
 Sex
Pressure Differences in the Thoracic Cavity
 Age
 Normal pressure within the pleural space
is always negative (intrapleural pressure)  Physical condition

 Differences in lung and pleural space  Normal breathing moves about 500 ml of
pressures keep lungs from collapsing air with each breath (tidal volume [TV])

 Residual volume – after exhalation, about

1200 ml of air remains in the lungs
 Inspiratory reserve volume (IRV)
 Amount of air that can be taken in
forcibly over the tidal volume
  Usually between 2100 and 3200 ml
 Expiratory reserve volume (ERV)
 Amount of air that can be forcibly
exhaled
 Approximately 1200 ml
 Minute volume = product of tidal volume
& respiratory rate
 Tidal volume 500 ml x 12/min =
6000 ml/min or 6L/min
 Vital capacity
 The total amount of exchangeable
air
 Vital capacity = TV + IRV + ERV
 Dead space volume
 Air that remains in
conducting zone and never
reaches alveoli
 About 150 ml
 Functional volume
 Air that actually reaches the
respiratory zone
 Usually about 350 ml
 Respiratory capacities are measured with
a spirometer
Oxygen
Carbon
Dioxide Variation
 Inspired air- 20% O2, .04 CO2
 Alveolar air -13 % O2, 5.2 CO2
 Expired air – 16% O2, 4.5 CO2
Respiratory Capacities
Respiratory Sounds
 Bronchial sounds – produced by air
rushing through trachea and bronchi
 Vesicular breathing sounds – soft sounds
of air filling alveoli
 Bronchovesicular- normal breath sound
Abnormal sounds
 Rales & crackles- crackling or
gurgling sounds commonly heard
during inspiration
 Ronchi-musical sounds or
vibrations commonly heard on
expiration
 Wheezing – squeaky sounds heard
during inspiration & expiration
 Pleural friction rub- grating sound
or vibration heard during
inspiration & expiration
 Stridor- a harsh high-pitched
wheezing sound made when
breathing in or out, caused by
obstruction of the air passages
Gas Transport in the Blood and Lungs
 Oxygen transport from alveoli into the
– blood forming oxyhemoglobin
  CO2 transported from tissue cell into Neural Regulation of Respiration
plasma

Internal Respiration

 Kussmaul breathing- a deep and

labored breathing pattern often
associated with severe metabolic acidosis
 Cheyne–Stokes respiration- characterized
by progressively deeper, and
faster breathing followed by an apnea. 
External Respiration
 Biot's respiration- characterized by
groups of quick, shallow inspirations
followed by regular or irregular periods of
apnea.
Factors Influencing Respiratory Rate and Depth
 Physical factors
 Increased body temperature
 Exercise
External Respiration, Gas Transport, and Internal
 Talking
Respiration Summary
 Coughing
 Volition (conscious control)
 Emotional factors
 Chemical factors
 Carbon dioxide levels
 Oxygen levels
Respiratory Disorders: Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Aging Effects
 Exemplified by chronic bronchitis and
 Elasticity of lungs decreases
emphysema
 Vital capacity decreases
 Major causes of death and disability in the
United States  Blood oxygen levels decrease
 Features of these diseases  Stimulating effects of carbon dioxide
decreases
 Patients always have a history of
smoking  More risks of respiratory tract infection
 Labored breathing (dyspnea) Respiratory Rate Changes Throughout Life
becomes progressively more
 Newborns – 40 to 80 respirations per
severe
minute
 Coughing and frequent pulmonary
 Infants – 30 respirations per minute
infections are common
 Age 5 – 25 respirations per minute
 Most victims retain carbon
dioxide, are hypoxic and have  Adults – 12 to 18 respirations per minute
respiratory acidosis
 Rate often increases somewhat with old
 Those infected will ultimately age
develop respiratory failure

Developmental Aspects of the Respiratory System

 Lungs are filled with fluid in the fetus
 Lungs are not fully inflated with air until
two weeks after birth
 Surfactant that lowers alveolar surface
tension is not present until late in fetal
development and may not be present in
premature babies.