Respiratory System Overview

The process that governs how much we breathe, ensuring enough oxygen to maintain proper blood saturation while minimizing breathing effort. It also maintains a balanced level of carbon dioxide in the blood, crucial for blood's pH.

The brain regions responsible for the automatic control of breathing, located in the medulla oblongata and pons of the brainstem.

Specialized sensory cells found in the airways and lungs, triggering responses like coughing, bronchoconstriction, or mucus release. These receptors are activated by irritants or excessive stretching.

Found in the upper airways and trachea-bronchial tree, these rapidly adapting receptors respond to irritants like dust or smoke, leading to coughing, bronchoconstriction, and mucus production.

Slow adapting receptors located in the smooth muscle of airways. They detect excessive stretching and trigger reflex responses to protect the lungs from over-inflation.

The pressure exerted by a specific gas in a mixture of gases, like air. It's independent of the pressure of other gases present.

The pressure in the space between the two layers of pleura surrounding the lungs. It's usually negative during normal breathing.

The pressure inside the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs. It fluctuates with breathing.

The ability of the lungs to expand for each unit of pressure change. A measure of lung elasticity.

A group of respiratory diseases characterized by irreversible airway narrowing, making exhaling difficult. Includes conditions like chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

A respiratory condition marked by attacks of shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing due to reversible airway narrowing.

The movement of oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) across the thin membrane between alveoli and capillaries.

The process by which gases move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure. This is how O2 and CO2 move across the alveolar-capillary membrane.

The primary function of the lungs is to provide oxygen (O2) to the body's tissues and remove carbon dioxide (CO2) as a waste product. This exchange of gases is crucial for cellular respiration, the process that generates energy for our cells.

Internal respiration refers to the process of gas exchange that occurs at the cellular level, within the mitochondria. This is where oxygen is used to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for energy, while carbon dioxide is released as a by-product.

The upper respiratory tract is the initial part of the respiratory system and includes the nasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx. These structures are responsible for filtering, warming, and humidifying incoming air, as well as producing sound.

The lower respiratory tract is the portion of the respiratory system that extends from the trachea to the alveoli. It consists of the trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli, and its primary function is gas exchange.

The right lung has three lobes, while the left lung has only two lobes due to the space occupied by the heart. This arrangement allows for efficient gas exchange in both lungs.

Each branching sequence of the bronchial tree within the lungs is assigned a generation number. The trachea's split into two main bronchi marks generation number 1, and the final generation number is approximately 23.

The respiratory zone begins after generation 17 in the bronchial tree, where the terminal respiratory units allow for gas diffusion across their membranes. This is where gas exchange occurs.

The conducting zone encompasses the airways before generation 17, where the primary function is to move air to the respiratory zone without gas exchange. Think of this as the transport system.