Nangarhar University

Faculty of Veterinary Science

Department of Pre-clinic
Veterinary Physiology

The Respiratory system

Prepared by: Fazal Akbar Khalili

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 THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

 Oxygen is a vital requirement of animals. An animal may survive for days without
water or for weeks without food, but life without oxygen is measured in minutes.
Functions:
1. Delivering oxygen and removing carbon dioxide.
2. Assistance in the regulation of the pH of the body fluids.
3. assistance in temperature control.
4. phonation (voice production).
5. Olfaction.

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1. Upper Respiratory Tract
• Nose (Nasal cavity, nostrils)
• Pharynx
• Larynx
2. Lower Respiratory Tract
• Trachea
• Bronchi
• Lungs
• Alveoli

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Nose
• In domestic animals it is located in face, under eyes and above mouth.

• Nostrils is the beginning of nose and its shape and size is depend on species.

• Nose is constructed from nasal cartilages.

• Lateral parts of nose is covered with small hairs, sebaceous and sweat glands.

• In some species except horse, an area in nose which does not have hairs and sebaceous gland but it has large of
sweat glands which has function to keep it warm.
• This area in sheep and goats is called Planum nasale and in cattle is called Planum nasolabiale.

• Equine does not have Planum.

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 Nasal Cavity
• nasal cavity is separated from mouth by soft and hard plates.
• Nasal cavity is separated by nasal septum, which is composed from cartilages and at end from plate of
bone.
• Nasal cavity has connection with nostrils and choanae (last part of nasal cavity) pharynx.
• Ethmoidal conchae is located at last part of nasal cavity and it has vascular mucosal membrane which
humidate and warm the inspired air.
• The mucosal membrane which covered the ethmoidal conchae is called olfactory epithelium and has
cranial nerve 1 for smelling.

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 Pharynx

• Pharynx is a common way for food and air which is located at the caudal of nasal cavity.

• Pharynx received two nasal cavities (conchae), auditory tubes, oral cavity.

• Pharynx wall is composed form soft muscles (striated muscles) which helps at swallowing and phonation.

• In normal situation, the pharynx guide the food and fluids from mouth to esophagus.

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 Larynx

• It function as gatekeeper for trachea.

• The primary function of larynx is to organize the air to trachea and prevent other materials.

• In compulsory inspiration it has the capacity to increase its diameter.

• It is the organ for phonation, so it is called voice box.

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 Trachea
• The trachea extends from the caudal end of the larynx to the bronchi.

• It is formed by a series of C-shaped hyaline tracheal cartilages that provide cross-sectional rigidity
to resist collapse and are joined one to another by elastic annular ligaments that permit the trachea
considerable flexibility to follow movements of the neck.

• The trachea divides into two principal bronchi, one for each lung.

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 Bronchi

• The principal bronchi branch into secondary (also called lobar) then tertiary bronchi subsequent
branches becoming smaller and smaller.

• When the airways divide to the extent that they are less than 1 mm in diameter, the cartilage
disappears, and these airways are called bronchioles.

• The bronchiole eventually branches into several alveolar ducts, which terminate in clusters of air
sacs, the alveoli. It is here that the exchange of gases with the blood takes place. Some terminal
bronchioles have alveoli in their walls, hence are called respiratory bronchioles

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 Lungs
• Each lung is roughly conical, with the base resting against the cranial side of the diaphragm and
the apex in or close to the thoracic inlet.

• the hilus, where the principal bronchus, pulmonary vessels, lymphatics, and nerves enter and leave
the lung.

• In ruminants and the pig, the left lung is divided into cranial (apical) and caudal (diaphragmatic)
lobes, with the cranial lobe having a further division into cranial and caudal parts.

• The right lung in these animals is divided into four lobes: cranial and caudal lobes as on the left,
plus a middle lobe between these and a ventrocaudal accessory lobe.

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 Pleura
• The thoracic cavity is lined by a serosa, the pleura. The smooth surfaces of the pleura are lubricated
with a scant amount of serous fluid facilitating frictionless movement of the lungs during respirations.

• The pleura is attached to the bony and muscular elements of the thorax by endothoracic fascia, a thin
connective tissue layer.

• The pleura consists of two separate sacs, one surrounding each lung. The pleura that lines the thorax
is the parietal pleura, and the pleura that covers the lungs is the visceral pleura. The pleural cavity,
between parietal and visceral pleurae, is a potential space only. This pleural cavity normally contains
nothing except a small amount of serous fluid.

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• The junction of the two pleural sacs near the midline of the thorax forms a double layer called the
mediastinum in which are found the heart, great vessels, esophagus. and other midline structures.

• The mediastinum of cattle is thick and forms a complete barrier between the right and left pleural
cavities. In horses, parts of the mediastinum are thin, and openings between the two cavities either
occur naturally or are readily created.

• this reason infections or air in one pleural space may stay unilaterally contained in cattle, whereas
they spread rapidly to involve both sides in the horse.

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