Biol 2420 Lecture 12

Respiratory System

Primary Functions:

1. Respiration

a. External Respiration

O2 and CO2 exchange

between lungs and atmosphere, between alveoli and blood, blood transport,
between blood and cells

b. Internal Respiration

O2 utilization by mitochondria to regenerate ATP forming CO2

2. Homeostatic regulation of body pH

excretory organ

selectively retains and releases CO2

3. Defends against microbes

traps and destroys harmful pathogens

4. Modifies concentration of chemical messengers

removes and inactiates others e.g. angiotensin 1 to 2

5. Vocalization

6. Sense of smell

Anatomy

located in thoracic cavity

each lung divided into loves right 3, left 2

Air enters each lugs by upper airways and the respiratory tract.

each lung is covered by a two layered serous membrane - pleural sac

visceral pleura attached to lung by CT

parietal pleura attached to thoracic wall and diaphragm

filled with a very thin layer of fluid that holds the layers close together and lubricates them
during breathing

this reduces friction and transfers forces directly unto lungs

if the sac is punctured, there is a pneumothorax (collapsed lung)

respiratory tract has 23 generations of branches

each becomes narrower, shorter and more numerous than the last

2 functioning zones

1. conducting zone

a. total volume - 150mL

anatomical dead space

b. gases transported by bulk flow

down pressure gradients

air warmed and humidified as it enters lungs

c. walls have SM, elastic tissue and cartilage

less cartilage as progress down

lined by goblet cells

ciliated epithelium

mucus traps stuff cilia moves them upward

 2. Respiratory zone

a. post-inspiration air volume

3000mL at rest

huge thin surface area for gas exchange

richly supplied with capillaries

b. gases move internally by bulk flow and diffusion

exchange between adjacent alveoli facilitated by pores of kohn

c. no cartilage, little SM

SM has no role in breathing

elastin fibres between alveolar cells provide tensile strength and stretch/recoil
properties

d. foreign matter eliminated by phagocytotic macrophages

Alveolar structure

individual ones are .25mm in diameter - polyhedral in shape

composed of

i. single layer of type 1 cells and basement membrane

respiratory membrane is 2 cells thick

ii type 2 cells

secrete surfactant