Scribd
Upload
157 views

The Respiratory System

The respiratory system consists of the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs and muscles of respiration. Air enters through the nose and nasal cavity and passes through the pharynx, larynx and trachea before reaching the lungs. Within the lungs, bronchioles branch into smaller passages called alveolar ducts which end in alveolar sacs containing alveoli where gas exchange takes place. When breathing in, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract to expand the rib cage and draw air into the lungs. On breathing out, they relax to decrease the volume of the chest cavity and push air out.

Uploaded by

Iftikhar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
157 views

The Respiratory System

The respiratory system consists of the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, lungs and muscles of respiration. Air enters through the nose and nasal cavity and passes through the pharynx, larynx and trachea before reaching the lungs. Within the lungs, bronchioles branch into smaller passages called alveolar ducts which end in alveolar sacs containing alveoli where gas exchange takes place. When breathing in, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract to expand the rib cage and draw air into the lungs. On breathing out, they relax to decrease the volume of the chest cavity and push air out.

Uploaded by

Iftikhar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

THE RESPIRATORY SYSTM

The organs of the respiratory system;


1- nose and nasal cavity,
2-pharynx,
3- larynx,
4- trachea,
5- two lungs and their coverings, pleura,
6- two bronchi (one bronchus to each lung),
bronchioles and smaller air passages,
7- muscles of breathing- the intercostals muscles
and the diaphragm.

The upper respiratory tract, respiratory organs in


the head and neck that is the airway from the nose
through the larynx.

The lower respiratory tract respiratory organs of the


thorax, that is the airway from the trachea through
the lungs.

1- Nose and nasal cavity;


The nasal cavity is the main route of air entry.
It consists of a large irregular cavity divided into two equal passages by a septum.
The nasal cavity is lined with a very vascular ciliated columnar epithelium tissue.

- The septum consists of hyaline cartilage anteriorly and the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone
and the fomer posteriorly.

- The roof is formed by the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone, frontal bone and nasal bones.
- The floor is formed by the roof of the mouth- hard palate in the front and soft palate behind.
- The medial wall is formed by the septum.
- The lateral walls are formed by the maxilla, the ethmoid bone and the inferior conchae.
- The posterior wall is formed by the posterior wall of the pharynx.

1
Openings into the nasal cavity;
- The anterior nares the openings from the exterior into the nasal cavity.
- The posterior nares, the opening from the nasal cavity into the pharynx.

- The paranasal sinuses,


the main Paranasal sinuses are;
1- maxillary sinuses 3- sphenoidal sinuses
2- frontal sinuses 4- ethmoidal sinuses
.
2-Pharynx
The pharynx is a tube-like organ, lies behind the nose, mouth and larynx.
It is about 12 to 14cm long extending from the base of the skull to the level of the 6 th cervical vertebra.

Structures surrounding the pharynx;


- Superiorly, the inferior surface of the skull base.
-Inferiorly, it is continuous with the esophagus.
-Anteriorly, nose, mouth and larynx.
- Posteriorly, areolar tissue, involuntary muscles of the
first six cervical vertebrae.

Structure of the pharynx;


The pharynx is divided into three parts;
1- The nasopharynx, the nasal part of the pharynx.
It lies behind the nose above the level of the soft palate.
The auditory tubes open into its lateral walls.

2- The oropharynx, the oral part of the pharynx lies


behind the mouth, extends from below the level of the soft palate to the level of the upper part of the
body of the 3rd cervical vertebra.

3- The laryngopharynx, the laryngeal part of the pharynx extends from the oropharynx above to the
esophagus below.

3- Larynx
The larynx or voice box extends from the root of the tongue and the hyoid bone to the trachea.
It lies in front of the laryngopharnx at the level of the 3 rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th cervical vertebrae.

In males the larynx grows larger and that explains the prominence of the Adam's apple and the
generally deeper voice.

2
Structures surrounding the larynx;
- Superiorly, the hyoid bone and the root of the tongue.
- Inferiorly, it is continuous with the trachea.
- Posteriorly, the laryngopharynx and3rd to 6th cervical vertebrae.
- Lateral, the lobes of the thyroid gland.

Structure of the larynx;


The larynx is composed of several irregular cartilages attach to each other by ligaments and
membranes.
The main cartilages are;
- one thyroid cartilage, forms most of the anterior and lateral walls of the larynx.
- one cricoid cartilage, below the thyroid cartilage. Its lower border marks the end of upper respiratory
tract.
- two arytenoid cartilages, situated on the top of the broad part of the cricoid cartilage forming the
posterior wall of the larynx. They give attachment to the vocal cords and to muscles.
– one epiglottis. A leaf-shaped fibroelastic cartilage attached to the inner surface of the anterior wall
of the thyroid cartilage. It closes off the larynx during swallowing, protecting the lungs from accidental
inhalation of foreign objects.

Functions of the larynx;


1- production of sound
2- speech
3- protection of the lower respiratory tract
4- passage way for air
5- humidifying, filtering and warming.

4- Trachea
The trachea or windpipe is a continuation of the larynx.
It is about 10 to 11cm long and 2.5cm in diameter lies in the median plane in front of the esophagus.
It extends downward to about the level of the 5 th thoracic vertebra where it divides at the carina into
the right and left main bronchi, each bronchus going to each lung.

3
The structures surrounding the trachea
- Superiorly, the larynx.
- Inferiorly, the right and left bronchi.
- Anteriorly,
 upper part and the isthmus of the thyroid gland.
 lower part; the arch of the aorta and the sternum.
- Posteriorly, the esophagus.
- Lateral, the lungs and the lobes of the thyroid gland.

Structure of the trachea;


The trachea is composed of between 16 to 20 incomplete C-shaped rings of hyaline cartilage lying one
above the other. The rings are incomplete posteriorly where it is composed of connective tissue and
involuntary muscle.
The posterior wall of trachea is in contact with the esophagus.

There are three layers of tissue clothing the cartilages of trachea;


1- The outer layer consists of fibrous and elastic tissue encloses the cartilages.
2- The middle layer consists of cartilages and band of smooth muscle that wind the trachea in a
helical arrangement.
3- The inner lining layer consists of ciliated columnar epithelium tissue, containing mucus-secreting
goblet cells.

Functions of the trachea;


1- support and patency
2- mucociliary escalator
3- cough reflex
4- warming, humidifying and filtering.

5- Lungs
They are cone-shaped organs. There are two lungs, one in each side of the thoracic cavity.
Each lung has;
 base resting on the diaphragm,
 apex projecting slightly superior to the
clavicle.
 costal surface is pressed against the ribcage,
 mediastinal surface faces medially. The
lungs do not fill the entire rib cage.

Inferior to the lungs and diaphragm, much of the


space within the rib cage is occupied by the liver,
spleen, and stomach.

The lung receives the bronchus, blood vessels,


lymphatic vessels, and nerves through its hilum.

The hilum is a slit in the mediastinal surface


where the bronchus, blood vessels, lymphatic
vessels, and nerves enter the lung and constitute
the root of the lung.

The left lung is a little smaller than the right


because the heart tilts to the left side and makes
an indentation called the cardiac impression.

4
The left lung has a superior lobe and an inferior lobe with a deep fissure between them.

The right lung has three lobes—superior, middle, and inferior—separated by two fissures.

The lungs are composed of a spongy parenchyma supported by bronchi and smaller air passages, alveoli,
connective tissue, blood vessels, lymph vessels, all embedded in elastic connective tissue matrix.
Each lobe is made up of a large number of lobules.

Pleura and pleural cavity;


The surface of the lung is covered by a serous membrane called pleura. The pleura consist of two layers;
1) The visceral pleura which extends into the fissures. At the hilum, the visceral pleura turns back on itself.
2) The parietal pleura, which adheres to the mediastinum, superior surface of the diaphragm, and inner
surface of the rib cage.
An extension of the parietal pleura, the pulmonary ligament, extends from the base of each lung to the diaphragm.
The space between the parietal and visceral pleurae is called the pleural cavity. The two membranes are normally
separated only by a film of serous fluid called pleural fluid; which allows them to glide over each other,
preventing friction between them during breathing.

5- Bronchi and the Bronchial Tree

Two primary bronchi arise from the trachea at the level of the angle of the sternum, about at the level of T5
vertebrae.
Each bronchus continues for 2 to 3 cm and enters the hilum of its respective lung.

The right bronchus is slightly wider, shorter and more vertical


than the left; consequently, aspirated (inhaled) foreign objects
lodge in the right bronchus more often than in the left.

Structure of the bronchi and bronchial tree;


The bronchi are composed of the same tissue of the trachea,
hyaline cartilage, and are lined with ciliated columnar
epithelium.

After entering the hilum, the primary bronchus divides into


secondary (lobar) bronchi, one bronchus for each pulmonary
lobe. Thus, there are two secondary bronchi in the left lung and
three in the right.

Each secondary bronchus divides into tertiary (segmental)


bronchi—10 in the right lung and 8 in the left.

Each terminal bronchiole gives off two or more smaller


respiratory bronchioles, which mark the beginning of the
respiratory division.

Each respiratory bronchioles divides into 2 to10 elongated, thin-walled passages called alveolar ducts that end
in alveolar sacs, which are grapelike clusters of alveoli.
7- Muscles of breathing
The main muscles used in normal quiet breathing are the intercostals muscles and the diaphragm.
The intercostal muscles and the diaphragm contract simultaneously, enlarging the thoracic cavity in
all directions.

 Intercostals muscles;

5
There are11 pairs of intercostal muscles occupying the spaces between the 12 pairs of ribs. They
arranged in two layers, the external and internal intercostal muscles.

 The diaphragm.
The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscular structure separating thoracic and abdominal cavities.
It forms the floor of the thoracic and the roof of the abdominal cavity. It consists of a central tendon
from which muscle fibers radiate and attach to the lower ribs and sternum and to the vertebral column
by two crura.

When the muscle of the diaphragm relaxes, the central tendon is at the level of the T8 vertebrae.
When it contracts it is pulled downward to the level of the T9 vertebrae, enlarging the thoracic cavity
in length.

During difficult or deep breathing the muscles of neck, shoulders and abdomen are also used to
assist the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm

You might also like