The Anatomy and Physiology

of the Respiratory System

Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman

 Allows for
sense of smell
Influences Air Distributor
speech
Function of the
Respiratory System

Gas exchanger Filters, warms, and

humidifies air
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
Respiration
- is the overall process by which the body gets
oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide.
• External respiration
-is the exchange of gas between the air in the
alveoli and the blood within the pulmonary
capillaries.
• Internal respiration
-is the exchanging of gases at the cellular level.

Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman

 Two division of respiratory system
1. Upper Respiratory System
- Nose
- Pharynx
2. Lower Respiratory System
- Larynx
- Trachea
- Bronchial tree
- Alveoli
- Lungs
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
 Structures of the Upper
Respiratory Tract
1.Nose - warms and moistens air, The nose is the primary
passageway for air entering and exiting the respiratory system

• Air enters through nostrils, communicates to nasal cavity.

• Nasal conchae: ridges within nasal cavity.
-Produces disturbances in air flow, enhancing mixing and
filtration.
• Vibrissae – also called as nasal hair, it filter large particles
that can be inhaled.
• Respiratory epithelium: ciliated cell layer (goblet cells and
mucous glands). Cilia sweep debris and pathogens into
pharynx (throat).
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
 Structures of the Upper
Respiratory Tract
•Nasal cavity also flushed by mucus produced by nasal sinuses and by tears
through nasolacrimal duct.
Nasolacrimal duct – drain tears from the eyes
• Nasal septum divides nose into left and right sides.
•Palantine bone separates nasal cavity from mouth.
Cleft palate - Palantine bone does not form correctly, difficulty in swallowing
and speaking.
rich blood supply = nose bleeds.
• Sinuses - for air containing spaces – open or drain into nose - (lowers weight of
skull).
 Structures of the Upper
Respiratory Tract
2.Pharynx - (throat) is a tubelike structure about 12.5 cm long
that connects the posterior nasal and oral cavities to the larynx
and oesophagus.
-Throat is shared by digestive and respiratory tracts.
3 divisions of the Pharynx:
• Nasopharynx:
• Acts only as an air passageway; when swallowing, uvula and soft palate close it off
• Location of pharyngeal tonsil
• Eustachian tubes
• Oropharynx: (fauces)
• Common passageway for food and air
• Location of palatine and lingual tonsils
• Laryngopharynx: (hypopharynx)
• Common passageway for food and air
• Intersects with trachea; location of epiglottis
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
 Structures of the Lower
Respiratory Tract
• The Larynx (Voice Box)
• Three functions
• Provides an open airway
• Routes food and air into proper tubes
• Voice production
• The laryngeal skeleton consists of nine cartilages, three single
and three paired and is connected by membranes and
ligaments.
1. Single (Unpaired cartilages)
(thyroid, cricoid, and epiglottis)
2. Paired cartilages
(arytenoid, corniculate, and cuneiform)
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
1.Single (Unpaired cartilages)
a.Epiglottis
—a leaf-shaped piece of elastic cartilage located at the top
of the larynx. The free superior end bends up and down like a
flap to open and close the opening into the larynx.
b.Thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple)
—formed by the fusion of two cartilage plates and is the
largest cartilage of the larynx.
c.Cricoid cartilage
— a ring shaped cartilage so-called because the signet end
forms part of the posterior wall of the larynx. It is attached to
the top of trachea and is the most inferiorly placed of the nine
cartilages.
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
2. Paired cartilages
a. Arytenoid cartilage
— is located above the cricoid and behind thyroid ,it
attached to the vocal cords.
—they are the most important because they influence the
position and tension of the vocal folds.
b. Corniculate cartilage
—small and cone-shaped hyaline cartilages that sit on top of
each of the arytenoid cartilages
c. Cuneiform cartilage
—small elongated rod-like elastic cartilages located at the
apex of each arytenoid cartilage, and at the base of the
epiglottis above and anterior to the corniculate cartilage.
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
2 pairs of folds
• True vocal cords
• The lower pair of folds , which form a slit-like opening called the
glottis.
• Vibrate to produce sound.
• false vocal cords
• it support the true vocal cords and play a minimal role in
phonation or sound production .

Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman

 Structures of the Lower
Respiratory Tract

• The trachea (windpipe)

 connection between Larynx to bronchi.
 tubelike structure which acts as the main passageway to
the lungs.
 it contains ciliated linings, Goblet cells secretes mucus
that traps dust particles and bacteria that manage to get
past the nose .
• Hyaline cartilages
 C - shaped rings of cartilage supporting the wall of the
trachea.
 It ensure that the airway is always remain open.

Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman

Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
 Structures of the Lower
Respiratory Tract
Bronchial tree
Tubes that branch off trachea and enter into lungs

Branches:

 Primary bronchi

 secondary bronchi

 tertiary bronchi

 bronchioles

Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman

 Carina – end junction
where the trachea splits to
form the left and right
bronchi

Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman

 Structures of the Lower
Respiratory Tract
The Alveoli
 It is the gateway for the oxygen into the body.
Air leaving the bronchioles enters alveolar ducts.
Brochioles end with grapelike clusters of air sacs called
Alveolar sacs.
• Surfactant
 prevents the alveolar walls to collapse.
 decrease surface tension.
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
The Lungs
• Right and Left lung
• 3 lobes in the right lung
- superior
- middle
- inferior
• 2 lobes in the left lung
- superior
- inferior
- cardiac notch for heart to rest in.
• Lung has broad inferior surface called the BASE.
• Lung has a pointed superior surface called the APEX or
the CUPOLA.
Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman
Is the Lungs identical?
Right Superior
Lobe Left Superior
Lobe

Middle Lobe

Left inferior
Right inferior Lobe
Lobe
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 Thoracic Compartments
• PLEURAE
• Membranes that surround and protect the lungs.
2 Layers :
• Parietal pleura – lines the thoracic walls ad the thoracic surface of the
diaphragm.
• Visceral pleura - adheres to the outer surface of the lungs.
• Pleural cavity – moistened space between parietal and visceral
pleurae.
Distinct Compartments of thoracic cavity:
• Pleural cavity that surround each lungs.
• Pericardial cavity houses the heart.
• Mediastinum contains the esophagus.
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• Pulmonary Ventilation = breathing
- Is a mechanical process that moves air into and out of the
lungs.
- Movement of gases through a pressure gradient - hi to low.
• Mechanics of Breathing
• Diaphragm
– thin ,tough dome-shaped muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from
the abdominal cavity.
- Contraction expand the thoracic cavity
• intercostal muscles
- Found in between the rib bones
- contraction elevates the ribs and sternum

Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman

• 2 Process of Breathing
• Inspirations (inhalation)
• Is the contraction of diaphragm and external intercostal
muscles
• When atmospheric pressure (760 mmHg) is greater than
lung pressure air flows in = inspiration.
• the thoracic cavity increases in size during inspiration in
3 direction: (anteroposteriorly, laterally, vertically)
• Expiration (exhalation )
• relaxation of diaphragm and internal intercostal
muscles.
• When lung pressure is greater than atmospheric
pressure air flows out = expiration.

Prepared by: Ms. Mealyn B. De Guzman

What is the smallest unit of life?
 Function of Circulatory System
• Circulatory system
• Function to transport blood and the
substances it carries to and from all parts
of the body. The main function of the
circulatory system is to deliver oxygen to
the body tissues, removing carbon
dioxide produced by Metabolism.
• Metabolism
• a term that is used to describe all
chemical reactions involved in
maintaining the living state of the cells
and the organism
Composition of Blood
• Blood, by definition, is a fluid that moves through the vessels of
a circulatory system.

• Plasma 
• Red blood cells
• Platelets 
• White blood cells
Plasma
• The liquid component of blood, the main component of
blood and consists mostly of water, with proteins, ions,
nutrients, and wastes mixed in.
Red blood cells(Erythrocytes) 
• It is responsible for carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide.
hemoglobin, a key protein used in oxygen transport. 
Platelets  (Thrombocytes)
• They are cell fragments involved in blood clotting. They
are produced when large cells
called megakaryocytes break into pieces.
White blood cells (Leukocytes)
• The cells of the immune system that are involved in
protecting the body against both infectious disease and
foreign invaders.
Where do bloods flow?
• Blood Vessels in the body:
• Arteries. These are blood vessels
that carry oxygenated blood away
from the heart to the body.
• Veins. These are blood vessels that
carry blood from the body back into
the heart.
• Capillaries. These are tiny blood
vessels between arteries and veins
responsible for gas exchange.
Parts of the Heart
• Heart is the central organ of the circulatory system. Made up of Cardiac
muscle and moves involuntarily.
• 4 Chambers of the Heart
• Left Atrium and Right Atrium
• Left Ventricle and Right Ventricle
• 4 Valves
• Tricuspid Valve
• Pulmonary Valve
• Mitra Valve
• Aortic Valve
• Superior Vena Cava-This large vein brings de-
oxygenated blood from the head, neck, arm, and chest
regions of the body to the right atrium. 
• Inferior Vena Cava: This vein brings de-oxygenated
blood from the lower body regions (legs, back, abdomen
and pelvis) to the right atrium.
• Pulmonary artery- carries deoxygenated blood from the
right ventricle to the lungs.
• Pulmonary vein- the veins that transfer oxygenated
blood from the lungs to the heart.
Blood Flow
• Pulmonary circulation moves
blood between the heart and the
lungs. It transports deoxygenated
blood to the lungs to absorb oxygen
and release carbon dioxide. The
oxygenated blood then flows back
to the heart. 
• Systemic circulation moves blood
between the heart and the rest of
the body.
 CIRCULATORY
DISORDER AND
DISEASES

PREPARE BY: MEALYN B. DE GUZMAN

• Atherosclerosis
• Is a disease of the arteries that
associated with the cholesterol build
up called PLAGUE inside of the walls
of the arteries.
• TREATMENT:
• A number of procedure from
medication to surgery, such as
Angioplasty and bypass graft surgery
can clogged arteries.
• Stroke
• Is a disorder that result from the blockage
brought by the hardening of the arteries
in the brain or neck vessels leading to the
brain.
• Once stroke has occurred intensive
rehabilitation must take place for fast
recovery.
• Treatment: Removal of obstruction to
restore blood flow, injection of clot-
breaking drug into vein to release clot
and restore blood flow
• Leukemia
• is a cancer the blood caused by an
overproduction of
damaged/abnormal white blood
cells.
• Extremely high levels of white
blood cells, cannot be removed
Treatment: Chemotherapy,
Radiation Treatment, Bone marrow
transplant, Stem cell transplant
• Anemia
• a condition in which you lack enough
red blood cells to carry adequate
oxygen to your body's tissues.
• Treatment: Supplements (Iron
Deficiency), Injections (Vitamin
Deficiency), Blood Transfusion.
• Hemophilia
• Lack of blood-clotting factors,
because of this bleeding will not stop.
• People who have this conditions are
called Hemophiliacs or bleeders.
• Treatment: No cure.
• Remedy: Plasma infusion, infusions of
recombinant clotting factors
• Sickle cell anemia. This inherited and
sometimes serious condition. It's caused by
a defective form of hemoglobin that forces
red blood cells to assume an abnormal
crescent (sickle) shape
• Sickle cells break apart easily and die,
leaving you with too few red blood cells. Red
blood cells usually live for about 120 days
before they need to be replaced. But sickle
cells usually die in 10 to 20 days, leaving a
shortage of red blood cells (anemia).
• Without enough red blood cells, your body
can't get enough oxygen, causing fatigue
• Hypertension
• another name for high blood pressure.
It can lead to severe health
complications and increase the risk of
heart disease, stroke, and sometimes
death. Blood pressure is the force that
a person's blood exerts against the
walls of their blood vessels.
• Treatment: Diet/exercise, medication
(depending on severity/stage)
 LUPUS
• Chronic inflammation that occurs when the body's
immune system attacks its own tissues and organs,
inflammation affects joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells,
brain, heart, and lungs
• Treatment: no cure, only therapy can help symptoms
 RESPIRATORY
DISORDER AND
DISEASES

PREPARE BY: MEALYN B. DE GUZMAN

• Common Cold
• it is a contagious infection of the upper
respiratory tract and is usually the result of a viral
infection.
• Symptoms include sneezing, runny nose because
of excessive nasal secretions, congestion, and
mild fever.
• Preschool children are greater risk of getting
colds (between 6-12 times a year) while adults
typically acquire colds between 2-4 times a year.
• Colds can be relieved by taking enough rest and
drinking lots of fluids. The disease usually runs its
course for about a week.
• Influenza
• Influenza or flu is a contagious illness caused by several influenza
viruses. Patients experience chills, fever, severe headache,
muscular pains, runny nose, and general discomfort.
• Although the symptoms are similar with common cold, influenza is
more severe disease which can lead to pneumonia and, for older
people and children, death.
• Influenza can spread globally in seasonal epidemics with severe
cases three to five million and about 250,000 -500,000 yearly
deaths.
• Several new strain of flu viruses have managed to emerged
recently as a mutation.
• Pneumonia
• refers to any infection of the lungs caused by
bacteria, virus, fungi or protozoa in rare
conditions.
• The disease causes inflammation of the lung’s
air sacs or alveoli, which become filled with pus
or fluid.
• The most common bacterial type that causes
pneumonia is Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Its symptoms include fever, chest pain, fluid in
the lungs, and difficulty in breathing
• Chest X-rays accompanied by blood and sputum
tests can confirm the type of pneumonia.
• treatment includes taking all the prescribed
medications and participating in follow-up care.
• Tuberculosis (TB)
• its caused by the bacteria Myobacterium tuberculosis, which can spread
via droplets through coughing, sneezing, or spitting phlegm.
• TB ca n also spread to other parts of the body such as bones, joints,
urinary tract, and the central nervous system.
• Symptoms of a person with active TB include a bad cough lasting for
three weeks or more, discolored or bloody sputum, weight loss,
weakness, or fatigue. loss of appetite.
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease. One takes several antibiotics for at
least six months. If not given proper medical attention TB can lead to
death.
• Asthma
•  chronic disease involving the airways in the lungs. These
airways, or bronchial tubes, allow air to come in and out of
the lungs.
• The exact cause of asthma is unknown but several factors or
allergens help trigger asthmatic attacks. These include the
inhalation of pollen, dust mites, and animal dead skin cells or
their fur. Approximately 3-6 % of the population has asthma.
• Asthma can be mild but it can also be life-threatening.
• Asthma cannot be cured but its symptoms can be controlled.
Sometimes, asthma can disappear by the time a child
reaches adolescence.
• Bronchitis
• is the inflammation or swelling of the
breathing passages(Bronchial tubes), the
pathway between the nose and the lungs.
• The disorder is often caused by viral lung
infections. Can also triggered by
industrial pollutants and tobacco smoke.
• The small passageways or air and its
lining may become inflamed, infected,
narrower, and clogged by mucus. People
suffering from bronchitis have difficulty in
breathing and cough with phlegm.
• Emphysema
• is a long term disease of the lungs caused by prolong exposure to
respiratory irritants like tobacco chemicals and air pollutants such as
factory fumes or coal.
• This pulmonary disease damages the alveoli of the lungs as well as
the breathing passages.
• As a patient inhales air, the air sacs expand, break, and are
damaged, forming a scar tissue. The alveoli turn into large, irregular
pockets with holes in them, making them less elastic and inefficient.
• It is an incurable disease and no treatment available. However,
symptoms can be relieve or progression can be slowed down. Since
smoking is usually the main reason, stopping it may impede the
progress of the disease.
• Lung Cancer
• it is one of the common causes of leading
cancer-related deaths among men and
women.
• It can be acquired through the long-term
exposure to tobacco smoke. Smoking
allows more than 70% cancer causing
chemicals to enter our body.
• These “carcinogenic” chemicals can cause
the uncontrolled growth of malignant
cells, called tumors, which may take up
the space in the lungs used for gas
exchange. 
• COPD
• stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
• The term associated with the group of lung disease: emphysema,
asthma, and chronic bronchitis.
• Patients experience a progressive and a long term obstruction of
airflow that makes breathing difficult.
• COPD is preventable since its most common cause is
smoking(including second-hand smoke) Pulmonary infections can
be slowed down using antibiotic but no cure will available if
emphysema sets in.
 COVID-19
• Coronavirus disease 2019 is a contagious disease caused by severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first case was identified in
Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease has since spread
worldwide, leading to an ongoing pandemic.
• Fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell,
sometimes no symptoms at all
• Complications:
• Pneumonia, viral sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, kidney
failure, respiratory failure, pulmonary fibrosis.
• INTUBATION PERIOD:2–14 days (typically 5) from infection