Respiratory System

Core Biomedical Science

Functions of the Respiratory System
Gas exchange
• cells need oxygen for chemical reactions
which release energy from food
• carbon dioxide is the waste product of this
process
Also
• removal of some toxic materials
• removal of heat in exhaled air
• production of sounds….
• respiratory system:
– allows oxygen from atmosphere to enter
body
– provides route of excretion for carbon
dioxide

• blood provides transport system between

lungs and body cells
1. upper respiratory tract
– nose
– mouth
– pharynx

2. lower respiratory tract

– larynx
– trachea
– bronchi
– lungs
Functions of upper respiratory tract

• Air is:
– Filtered (by nose hairs, mucus, ciliated
epithelium)
– Warmed (by rich blood supply)
– Moistened (by moist mucosa)
• Smell
• Speech
 Lower respiratory tract
• Repeatedly branching air passages (becoming
progressively smaller) deep into lungs

• Extensive capillary beds (of pulmonary

circulation) within lungs

• Gas exchange - interaction between smallest air

passages & capillaries
 Branching of bronchial tree
trachea

bronchi

bronchioles

terminal bronchioles

alveoli
Bronchial tree - microscopic structure

• outer layer - fibrous & elastic tissue

• middle layer cartilage & smooth muscle

• inner layer - ciliated columnar epithelium

(containing mucus producing goblet cells)
 Human lungs

600 million alveoli

Total area 100m2
Each alveolar wall only
one cell thick
Functional parts of respiratory system
• Conducting portion
(bronchioles & above)
volume 0.15 L
• Warming
• Moistening
• Filtering

• Respiratory portion
(bronchioles & beyond)
volume 5 to 6 litres
• Gas exchange
 Pleura
• Thin smooth membrane surrounding each lung
• Actually very small gap between pleurae
• Pleural cavity contains serous fluid, sliding, high
surface tension
• Allows expansion & contraction in friction free
environment
• If punctured, lungs collapse because of elastic
recoil (pneumothorax)
 Overview of respiratory process
Two basic processes involved:
Ventilation = movement of air in and out of lungs

Respiration = exchange of gases

• external respiration
– exchange of gases by diffusion between alveolar air in
lungs and blood in pulmonary capillaries
• internal respiration
– exchange of gases by diffusion between blood in
systemic capillaries and body cells
 Ventilation
• Air flows from high to low pressure

• therefore essential to create pressure

gradient between air in lungs and air in
external environment to produce
movement of air into & out of lungs
• Inspiration – breathing in

• need to generate pressure gradient from

external to internal
• i.e. pressure in lungs < pressure in environment

• volume of chest cavity increases

• pressure falls below that of atmosphere
• air is sucked in
 Inspiration
1. Diaphragm contracts – pulls down
external intercostal muscles contract – pulls
ribs up and out
– volume of thoracic cavity increased
2. Pleural membranes move with thoracic walls
and diaphragm
– lungs expand
3. Pressure falls in lungs and air moves in – down
the pressure gradient

• active process requires energy expenditure by

muscles
• Expiration – breathing out

• need to generate pressure gradient from

internal to external
• i.e. pressure in lungs > pressure in environment

• volume of chest cavity decreases

• pressure rises above that of atmosphere
• air is forced out
 Expiration
1. intercostal muscles & diaphragm relax-
– results in downward and inward movement of rib
cage
2. Lung is elastic so returns to initial volume
3. Pressure in lungs rises and air flows out

• passive process - does not require energy

• pause before next cycle begins
Blood-air interface & diffusion
• Oxygen & carbon dioxide move by simple diffusion down
a concentration (pressure) gradient
• Rate of diffusion
– proportional to:
• Surface area
• Difference in gas pressure between two sides
– inversely proportional to:
• Surface thickness

Respiratory membrane in alveoli is very thin and

has very large surface area -
IDEAL FOR GAS EXCHANGE
 External respiration
• deoxygenated blood arrives at lungs (via
pulmonary arteries)
– high levels carbon dioxide
– low levels oxygen
• carbon dioxide – pressure gradient is from
deoxygenated blood (in pulmonary
capillaries) to alveolar air

– CO2 diffuses from deoxygenated blood

down pressure gradient until equilibrium
with alveolar air reached
– thus CO2 excreted from body
• oxygen - pressure gradient is from alveolar
air to deoxygenated blood (in pulmonary
capillaries)

- oxygen diffuses from alveolar air down

pressure gradient into deoxygenated blood
until equilibrium with reached

- thus oxygen taken into body

 Internal respiration
• Arterial blood arriving at tissues has:
– higher partial pressure of oxygen than tissues
– lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide than tissues.

• pressure gradient between blood and tissues

– oxygen diffuses through capillary wall  tissues
– carbon dioxide diffuses from cells  extracellular
fluid then  bloodstream towards venous end of
capillary