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Introduction
• is a system consisting of
specific organs and structures
used for gas exchange.
• consists of the:

 Nose
 pharynx (throat),
 larynx (voice box),
 trachea (windpipe),
 bronchi,
 lungs.

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 Function of respiratory system:

 Provides for gas exchange—intake of O2 and removal

of CO2

 Regulation of blood PH

 Contains receptors for the sense of smell

 Filtration of inspired air

 Production of sound

 Excretion of some water

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 structurallythe respiratory system is divided into 2 parts:

1. the upper respiratory system

includes:
 nose (nasal cavity)
 pharynx, and
 associated structures;
2. The lower respiratory system
includes:
 larynx,
 trachea,
 bronchi, and
 lungs.

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 Upper respiratory system
1. Nose
• nose is a special organ at the entrance to the respiratory system.
• is divided into 2:

1. external nose 2. internal nose

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 1. external nose
Is the skin and muscle-covered portion of the
nose visible on the face.
It’s skeletal framework is formed by:
1. Bone= paired nasal bones:-form upper
portion
2. Cartilages:
1. paired lateral nasal cartilages= extends
between nasal bone & major alar cartilages
2. Paired Alar cartilages:- form inferior
portion
 Major alar cartilages
 minor alar cartilages
3. Unpaired Septal nasal cartilage:-divide
external nose into two chambers

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• The entryways into external nose are called external nares or nostrils
• The small cavity in external nose is called nasal vestibules (right & left
vestibules).
 The lower half of each nasal vestibule is lined with skin continuous with the skin
of the face and has numerous hairs with sebaceous and sweat glands
 while the upper half is mucous membrane lined.

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 2. Internal Nose
• It forms the majority of the nose.
• The space within internal nose is called nasal cavity proper (nasal cavity)

nasal cavity proper (nasal cavity)

• lies inferior to the cranial cavity and superior to the oral cavity.
• Anteriorly it merges with the external nose and posteriorly communicates with
the pharynx through two openings called the internal nares or choanae.
• divided by an osteo-cartilaginous nasal septum into right and left halves.
 The anterior part of the nasal septum is formed by the septal nasal cartilage
 Posterior part is formed by vomer and perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone.

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 Boundaries of nasal cavity  Roof :
proper
• Curved and narrow

 Floor:-  Anterior part: frontal and nasal bones

 Intermediate part: cribriform plate of
• palatine processes of the maxilla
ethmoid bone
and horizontal plates of the
 Posterior part: anterior and inferior
palatine bone
aspects of the body of the sphenoid
• Separates the nasal cavity from
bone
the oral cavity

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 Lateral wall:-
• is irregular wall due to presence of three shelf like bony projections called the
conchae (turbinates): superior, middle and inferior nasal conchae.
• Superior and middle conchae are parts of Ethmoid bone while inferior nasal
conchae is independent (separate) facial bone.
• Below each conchae are three groove-like passageways called meatuses(the
superior, middle, and inferior).

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• Skeleton: is partly bony and partly cartilaginous.
1. Bony part : Nasal bone, frontal process of maxilla, lacrimal bone, Ethmoid bone
(superior and middle nasal concha), inferior nasal concha, perpendicular plate of palatine
And medial pterygoid plate of sphenoid

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2. Cartilaginous part – superior nasal, inferior nasal and alar cartilages

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 Medial wall:-
• Formed by Nasal septum which is the osteo-cartilagenous partition between
the two halves.
1. Bony part: formed by perpendicular plate of ethmoid and vomer bone
2. Cartilaginous part: formed by Septal nasal cartilage

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Paranasal sinuses
• Are air filled cavities in the bones of the skull around nasal cavity

• Right and left Frontal, sphenoidal, maxillary and anterior, middle and
posterior ethmoidal sinuses.

• Functions of the paranasal sinuses

• Make skull lighter
• Increase the resonance of sound

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 All open to nasal cavity:
Frontal, maxillary and anterior and middle ethmoidal sinuses drain into middle
meatus of the nasal cavity
Posterior ethmoidal sinuses drain into superior meatus of the nasal cavity
Sphenoidal sinuses drain into sphenoethmoidal recess

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 Nasolacrimal Duct drain into inferior nasal meatus of
nasal cavity.

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In summary, the interior structures of the nose have three functions:

1) warming, moistening and filtering incoming air.

2) detecting olfactory (smell) stimuli;

3) modifying speech vibrations as they pass through the large, hollow

resonating chambers.

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 2. Pharynx
• is a funnel-shaped tube about
13 cm long

• starts at the internal nares

and extends to the level of the
cricoid cartilage.

• It lies:

 posterior to the nasal and

oral cavities,

 superior to the larynx and

esophagus, and

 anterior to the cervical

vertebrae.

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Function of pharynx

• is a passageway for

air and food

• sound resonance

• houses the tonsils

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 Portions of Pharynx
• Pharynx is divided into three anatomical
regions:
A. Nasopharynx
B. Oropharynx
C. Laryngopharynx

A. Nasopharynx

B. Oropharynx

C. Laryngopharynx

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A. Nasopharynx
• Is the superior portion of the pharynx.
• lies posterior to the nasal cavity and extends to the plane of the soft palate
 has five openings into its wall:
Two internal nares,
two openings that lead into the auditory (pharyngotympanic/ eustachian tubes)
The single opening into the oropharynx.
The posterior wall also contains the pharyngeal tonsil or adenoid.

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 B. Oropharynx
• Is the intermediate
portion of the pharynx.
• lies posterior to the oral
cavity
• extends from the soft
palate inferiorly to the
level of the hyoid bone.
• Communicates with :
 nasopharynx superiorly
 Laryngopharynx
inferiorly
 Oral cavity anteriorly
through fauces

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• oropharynx has both

respiratory and digestive

functions because it is a

common passageway for

air, food, and drink.

• Has two pairs

of tonsils:
1. Palatine tonsils

2. Lingual tonsils

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 C. Laryngopharynx
• inferior portion of the
pharynx.

• begins at the level of the

hyoid bone.

• At its inferior end, it opens

into the esophagus (food
tube) posteriorly and the
larynx (voice box) anteriorly.

• Like the oropharynx, it is

both respiratory and digestive
pathway.

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• is a short passageway that connects the laryngopharynx with the trachea.
• It lies in the midline of the neck anterior to C4–C6 cervical vertebrae.

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• The wall of the larynx is composed of nine pieces of cartilage:
 Three occur singly (thyroid cartilage, epiglottis, and cricoid cartilage), and
 Three occur in pairs (arytenoid, cuneiform, and corniculate cartilages).

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 Thyroid
Cricoid hyaline cartilages
Arytenoid

Epiglottis
Corniculate elastic cartilages
cuneiform

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 Thyroid cartilage
• is the largest cartilage of the larynx.
• Consists of two fused plates of hyaline
cartilage that form the upper anterior
and lateral walls of the larynx .
• The anterior junction of the two plates
forms the laryngeal prominence (Adam’s
apple).
 larger in males than in females due
to the influence of male sex
hormones on its growth during
puberty.
• The ligament that connects thyroid
cartilage to the hyoid bone just
superior to it is called thyrohyoid
membrane.
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 epiglottis
• is a large, leaf-shaped piece of elastic
cartilage
• is a cartilaginous flap behind the root
of the tongue which helps to close the
glottis (laryngeal opening) during
swallowing.

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 cricoid cartilage
• is a ring of hyaline cartilage that
forms the inferior wall of the larynx.
• It is attached to the first ring of
cartilage of the trachea by the
cricotracheal ligament.
• Also connected with thyroid cartilage
by cricothyroid ligament.

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 2. Trachea ( Wind pipe )
• is a tubular passageway for air that is
about 12 cm.
• It is located anterior to the esophagus .
• It extends from the larynx to the superior
border of the 5th thoracic vertebra (T5).

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 Layers of tracheal wall:
• The layers of
the tracheal
wall from
internal to
external are:

1) mucosa

2) Submucosa

3) media, or
middle tunic

4) adventitia

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 1) Mucosal layer
• consists of an epithelial layer of pseudostratified ciliated

columnar epithelium

• The epithelium consists of ciliated columnar cells, goblet

cells and basal cells.

• The epithelium provides the same protection against dust

as the membrane lining the nasal cavity and larynx.

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 2) Sub Mucosa

• consists areolar connective

tissue that contains seromucous
glands and their ducts.

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 3) Tunica Media or middle tunic
• Consists of 16–20
incomplete horizontal rings
of hyaline cartilage that
resemble the letter C.

• They are open posteriorly

• The rings are stacked one

above another and are
joined together by dense
connective tissue.

• They provide a semi-rigid

support to maintain patency.
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 4) Adventitia

 Is the most superficial layer of the trachea

 consists areolar connective tissue that joins the

trachea to surrounding tissues.

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 3. Bronchi
• At the superior border of the 5th thoracic
vertebra, the trachea divides into a right
and left primary bronchus.
 Right primary bronchus:
 goes into the right lung,
 is more vertical, shorter, and wider than
the left
 left primary bronchus:
 goes into the left lung.
 is more horizontal, longer, and narrower
than the right.

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• Like the trachea, the primary bronchi contain:
 incomplete rings of cartilage
 lined by pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cell

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 4. LUNGS
• The lungs are large, spongy,
paired organs within the
thoracic cavity

• extending from the

diaphragm to a point just
above the clavicles.

• The lungs are separated

from each other by the
heart and other structures
of the mediastinum.

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Each lung consists of:
Apex – The blunt superior end of the lung.
• It projects upwards, above the level of
the 1st rib and into the floor of the
neck.
Base – The inferior surface of the lung,
which sits on the diaphragm.
Lobes (two or three) – These are
separated by fissures within the lung.
Surfaces (three) – These correspond to
the area of the thorax that they face.
• They are named costal, mediastinal and
diaphragmatic.
Borders (three) – The edges of the lungs,
named the anterior, inferior and
posterior
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Surfaces
• There are three lung surfaces, each corresponding to an area of the thorax.
1. mediastinal surface: faces the lateral aspect of the middle mediastinum.
 The lung hilum is located on it.
2. diaphragmatic surface: Form base of the lung.
 It rests on the diaphragm, and has a concave shape.
3. costal surface: is smooth and convex.
 It faces the internal surface of the chest wall.

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Borders: 3 borders
1. anterior border: formed by the convergence of the mediastinal and costal
surfaces.
 On the left lung, the anterior border is marked by a deep notch, created by the
apex of the heart. It is known as the cardiac notch.
2. inferior border: separates the base of the lung from the costal and
mediastinal surfaces.
3. posterior border : is smooth and rounded (in contrast to the anterior and
inferior borders, which are sharp).
 It is formed by the costal and mediastinal surfaces meeting posteriorly.

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 The root (hilum)of the lung
• The point at mediastinal surface of lungs through which various structures
leave or enter the lungs
• Contents
– Bronchus – posterior - Left & Right
– Pulmonary artery - Left & Right
– Pulmonary veins – two in each, superior and inferior
– Bronchial vessels - Bronchial artery & Bronchial veins
– Pulmonary plexus – Parasympathetic + Sympathetic
– Lymphatics of lung

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 Lobes, Fissures, and Lobules
• One or two fissures divide each lung into lobes.

• Both lungs have an oblique fissure, which extends inferiorly and

anteriorly;
 the right lung also has a horizontal fissure.

• The oblique fissure in the left lung separates the superior lobe from
the inferior lobe.

• In the right lung, the superior part of the oblique fissure separates the
superior lobe from the inferior lobe

 while the inferior part separates the inferior lobe from the middle
lobe, which is bordered superiorly by the horizontal fissure

 horizontal fissure separetes middle lobe from superior lobe

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Differences between right and left lung
Characteristics Right lung Left lung
Size & weight Larger and heavier Small and lighter
(700gm) (600gm)
Length and width Shorter & broader Longer and narrower

Anterior border Straight Cardiac notch

Lobes and fissures Three lobes & two Two lobes & one
fissures fissure

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pleural membrane
• is a protective, double-layered serous membrane surrounding each lungs
• The superficial layer of the pleural membrane lining the wall of the thoracic cavity is called
the parietal pleura and the deep layer which adheres to the lungs is called the visceral
pleura.
• The two layers are continuous with one another at the root of the lung.
• Between the visceral and parietal pleurae is a small space, the pleural cavity, which contains
a small amount of lubricating fluid secreted by the two layers.
• This fluid reduces friction between the membranes, allowing them to slide easily over one
another during breathing.

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