Notes on Respiratory System – Part I Dr.

Mozaffer Rahim

1. What are the steps of respiration?

3 steps:
a. Pulmonary ventilation (breathing): Mechanical flow of air into & out of the lungs.
b. External respiration: Exchange of gases between alveoli and blood in pulmonary capillaries.
c. Internal respiration: Exchange of gases between blood in systemic capillaries and tissue cells.

2. What is cellular respiration?

a. It is a set of metabolic reactions that take place within the cell to convert biochemical energy from
nutrients into adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

3. Give the structural classification of respiratory tract.

a. Upper respiratory tract: Nose, pharynx, upper part of larynx (till the vocal cords).
b. Lower respiratory tract: Lower part of larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs.

4. What is meant by conducting zone and respiratory zone?

a. Conducting zone is that part of airway where gas exchange does not take place. It includes
pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and terminal bronchioles. It is equal to 150 mL.
(also called Dead space)
b. Respiratory zone is that part of airway where gas exchange takes place. It includes respiratory
bronchioles, alveolar sac, alveoli. It is equal to 3000 mL.

5. What are respiratory bronchioles?

a. Bronchioles through which gas exchange can take place as they have alveoli attached to them.

6. What are the functions of nose?

a. Air conditioning function
i. Warms the air
ii. Humidifies the air
iii. Filters the air
b. Olfaction (smell): Detects odors in the airstream
c. Speech (resonance): Serves as a resonating chamber that amplifies the voice

7. What is dead space, pulmonary ventilation rate, alveolar ventilation rate

a. Dead space is the space where air exchange does not take place.
b. Pulmonary ventilation rate is the volume of air that enters or leaves the lung each minute.
= Tidal volume (TV) x Respiratory rate (RR)
c. Alveolar ventilation rate is the volume of air that enters or leaves the alveoli each minute.
= (TV – Dead Space) x Respiratory rate (RR)

8. Layers of respiratory membrane

1. Layer of fluid containing surfactant
2. Alveolar epithelium
3. Basement membrane of alveolar epithelium
4. Interstitial space
Notes on Respiratory System – Part I Dr. Mozaffer Rahim

5. Basement membrane of endothelium

6. Endothelial cells

9. Factors upon which diffusion of gases depend (Fick’s law of diffusion)

a. Diffusion directly proportional to:
i. Concentration gradient of gases
ii. Surface area
iii. Solubility
b. Diffusion is inversely proportional to:
i. Thickness of respiratory membrane
ii. Molecular weight of gas

10. Name the pressure important for inspiration and expiration

a. Atmospheric pressure = 760 mmHg. Taken as 0 mmHg
b. Alveolar pressure (Intra-alveolar pressure or intra-pulmonary pressure) = 0 mmHg (760); – 1 (759)
in inspiration; + 1 (761) in expiration
c. Intrapleural pressure (always negative) = – 4 mmHg (756) at the start of inspiration and – 6 mmHg
(754) at the end of inspiration.

11. What is Transpulmonary pressure?

a. It is the difference in pressure between inside (alveolar pressure) and outside (Intrapleural
pressure) the lung.

12. Name the muscles of inspiration and expiration during normal and forceful breathing.
a. INSPIRATION:
i. Normal quite inspiration: Diaphragm and Ext. Intercostal muscles
ii. Forceful inspiration: Diaphragm, Ext. Intercostal + Accessory muscles of inspiration
(Scalene, Serratus anterior, Sternocleidomastoid muscles, Pectoralis minor)
b. EXPIRATION:
i. Normal quite expiration: passive due to relaxation of inspiratory muscles and elastic recoil
capacity of lungs
ii. Forceful expiration: Elastic recoil capacity of lungs + abdominal muscles + Internal
Intercostal muscle

13. What are the steps of INSPIRATION?

a. Muscles of inspiration contract
b. Thoracic cavity size increase
c. This increases the Intrapleural pressure (becomes more negative from – 4 to – 6)
(Transpulmonary pressure increases)
d. This force is more than elastic recoil force of lung and the lung expands
e. Volume of lung increases, pressure decreases – Boyle’s Law
f. Intra-alveolar pressure becomes – 1 (less than atmospheric)
g. Air flows from higher pressure (outside atmospheric pressure) to lower pressure (inside alveolar
pressure)
Notes on Respiratory System – Part I Dr. Mozaffer Rahim

14. What are the steps of EXPIRATION?

a. Muscles of inspiration relax.
b. Suction effect on lungs is lost, therefore, Intrapleural pressure goes back from – 6 to – 4
c. Elastic recoil force is stronger than this suction force and size of lung decreases
d. Volume of lung decreases, pressure increases – Boyle’s Law
e. Intra-alveolar pressure becomes +1 (more than atmospheric)
f. Air flows from higher pressure (inside alveolar pressure) to lower pressure (outside atmospheric
pressure)

15. What is a Spirometer and a Spirogram?

a. Spirometer: It is an apparatus for measuring lung volumes and capacities
b. Spirogram: It is a graph of the respiratory movements made by the spirometer

16. Name the lung volumes.

a. Tidal volume (TV) = 500 mL
b. Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV) = 3100 mL
c. Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV) = 1200 mL
d. Residual Volume (RV) = 1200 mL

17. Name the lung capacities. (Capacities are combination of two or more lung volumes)
a. Inspiratory Capacity (IC) = TV + IRV = 3600 mL
b. Functional Residual Capacity (FRC) = ERV + RV = 2400 mL
c. Vital Capacity (VC) = IRV + TV + ERV = 4800 mL
d. Total Lung Capacity (TLC) = IRV + TV + ERV + RV = 6000 mL

18. Define each lung volume.

a. Tidal Volume (TV): The volume of air that is inspired or expired during normal quite breathing.
(500 mL)
b. Inspiratory Reserve Volume (IRV): The maximum volume of air that can be inspired after a
normal quite inspiration. (3100 mL)
c. Expiratory Reserve Volume (ERV): The maximum volume of air that can be expired after a normal
quite expiration. (1200 mL)
d. Residual Volume (RV): The volume of air left in lungs after maximal expiration (1200mL)

19. Define each lung capacity.

a. Inspiratory Capacity (IC): The maximum volume of air that can be inspired after breathing out
normal tidal volume (The maximum volume of air that can be inspired from FRC). (3600 mL)
b. Functional Residual Capacity (FRC): Maximum volume of air that can be expired after the end of
normal tidal expiration. (Volume of air in the lungs at the end of a passive expiration.) (1200 mL)
c. Vital Capacity (VC): Maximum volume of air that can be expired after a maximum inspiration.
(4800 mL)
d. Total Lung Capacity (TLC): The total volume of air present in the lungs. (6000ml)