PHA206 Human Anatomy & Physiology III

An introduction
to
The Respiratory
System

Mashmum Shababa Shahid

Department of Pharmacy
IUB
▪ The cells of the body require a continuous supply of oxygen for cellular respiration,
which produces carbon dioxide as a waste product.
▪ The overall process of the exchange of respiratory gases between the atmosphere and the
body cells is called respiration.
▪ The respiratory system is composed of structures involved in ventilation and gas
exchange.
Functions of the Respiratory system
▪ Providing an extensive surface area for gas exchange between air and circulating blood.
▪ Moving air to and from the exchange surfaces of the lungs along the respiratory
passageways.
▪ Protecting respiratory surfaces from dehydration, temperature changes, or other
environmental variations, and defending the respiratory system and other tissues from
 invasion by pathogens.
▪ Producing sounds for speaking, singing, and other forms of communication.
▪ Facilitating the detection of odors by olfactory receptors in the superior portions of the nasal
cavity.
Organs of the respiratory system
▪ The respiratory system is subdivided into upper and lower respiratory tracts.
▪ The upper respiratory tract is that portion not located within the thorax: nose, pharynx,
larynx and part of the trachea.
▪ The lower respiratory tract is located within the thorax: part of the trachea, the bronchial
tree, and the lungs.
Nose
▪ The protruding portion of the nose is supported by bone and cartilage.
 Upper
respiratory
tract

Lower
respiratory
tract
▪ The nostrils, the 2 external openings in the nose, allow air to enter and leave the nasal cavity.
▪ Stiff hairs around the nostrils tend to keep out large airborne particles and insects.
▪ The nasal cavity is the interior chamber of the nose surrounded by skull bones. It is separated
from the oral cavity by the palate.
▪ It is divided into left and right portions by the nasal septum located on the midline.
▪ Three nasal conchae project from each lateral wall and serve to increase the surface area of
the nasal cavity.
▪ The nasal cavity is lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium, whose goblet
cells produce mucus that coats the epithelial surface.
▪ As air flows through the nasal cavity, it is warmed by the blood-rich mucous membranes and is
moistened by mucus.
▪ The airborne particles (including microorganisms) are trapped in the mucus layer. Cilia of the
 epithelium slowly move the layer of mucus with its entrapped particles toward the pharynx
where it is swallowed.
▪ Upon reaching the stomach, most
microorganisms in the mucus are
destroyed by the gastric juice.
▪ Several bones surrounding the nasal
cavity contain paranasal sinuses which
are air-filled cavities. Sinuses are located
in the ethmoid, frontal, maxillary and
sphenoid bones.
▪ The sinuses lighten the skull and serve as sound-resonating chambers during speech.
Pharynx
▪ Pharynx is a short passageway that lies posterior to the nasal and oral cavities.
▪ It has a muscular wall and is lined with mucous membranes.
▪ The pharynx consists of 3 parts: the nasopharynx, the oropharynx and the laryngopharynx.
▪ The tonsils are clumps of lymphatic tissue which occur at the openings to the pharynx. These
are sites of immune reactions and may become sore and swollen when infected.
▪ Enlargement of the palatine tonsils tends to make swallowing painful and difficult.
▪ A swollen pharyngeal tonsil tends to block the flow of air from the nasal cavity into the
pharynx, which promotes mouth breathing.
▪ When breathing through the mouth, air is not adequately warmed, filtered, and moistened.
Larynx
▪ The larynx is a cartilaginous, boxlike structure that provides a passageway for air between the
 pharynx and the trachea.
▪ The 3 largest cartilages are, the thyroid cartilage (Adam’s
apple), the cricoid cartilage and the epiglottis
(a cartilaginous flap that helps to keep food from
entering the larynx).
▪ The larynx is supported by ligaments that extend from
the hyoid bone.
▪ The vocal cords are located within the larynx and are
relaxed during normal breathing.
▪ When contracted, the vocal cords vibrate to produce
vocal sounds when exhaled air passes over them.
▪ The opening between the vocal cords called the glottis
leads to the trachea.
▪ When swallowing, muscles lift the larynx upward, which causes
the epiglottis to cover its opening and direct food into the
esophagus.
▪ When the mechanism does not work perfectly, small amount of
food or drink enter the larynx and stimulate a coughing reflex
to expel the substance.
Trachea
▪ Trachea or windpipe is a tube that extends from the larynx into
the thoracic cavity, where it branches to form the primary
bronchi.
▪ The walls of the trachea are supported by C-shaped
cartilaginous rings that hold the passageway open in spite of
 the air pressure changes during breathing.
▪ The inner wall of the trachea is lined with the same type of ciliated mucous membrane that
lines the upper respiratory passages.
▪ The mucus traps the airborne particles and microorganisms and the beating cilia move it
upward to the pharynx to be swallowed.
Bronchial tree
▪ The trachea branches at about mid chest into the left and right primary bronchi.
▪ Each primary bronchus enters its respective lung, where it branches to form smaller
secondary bronchi, one for each lobe of the lung.
▪ Within each lobe, the bronchi continue to branch into smaller and smaller tubules.
▪ The trachea, bronchi, and smaller tubules resemble a tree and are called collectively the
bronchial tree.
▪ The walls of the
bronchi contain
cartilaginous rings,
but as the branches
get progressively
smaller, the amount
of cartilage
decreases.
▪ The very small tubes
called the bronchioles
have no cartilage, but
have smooth muscles
 in their walls.
▪ The bronchi are lined with ciliated mucous membranes that continue to trap and remove
airborne particles.
▪ Bronchioles are composed of simple cuboidal epithelium, so foreign particles that reach them
are not effectively removed.
▪ Bronchioles branch to form smaller and smaller bronchioles that lead to alveolar ducts which
terminate in tiny sacs called alveoli (or alveolar sacs).
▪ The primary function of the bronchial tree is to carry air into and out of the alveoli during
breathing.
▪ The exchange of respiratory gases occur between the air in the alveoli and blood in the
capillary networks that surround the alveoli.

▪ There are about 300 million alveoli in each lung having a combined surface area of about 75
sq. meters and can hold about 6000ml of air.
▪ Alveoli contain very small spaces coated with a watery fluid.
▪ The diffusion of gases is Air-Blood Barrier
facilitated by the fact that each alveolus is
only one cell-layer thick. So, the total
“air-blood barrier” is only 2 cells across
(an alveolar cell and a capillary endothelial cell)
or about 2µm.
▪ There are 2 types of alveolar cells, designated,
type I alveolar cells and type II alveolar cells.
▪ The type I alveolar cells comprise 95% - 97% of the total
surface area of the lung where gaseous exchange primarily happens.
▪ The type II alveolar cells secrete pulmonary surfactant which is a mixture of lipoproteins.
▪ The surfactant reduce attraction
between the water molecules
and keeps the alveoli
open so they may fill with
air during inspiration.
▪ Without the surfactant,
the alveoli would collapse
and become nonfunctional.
▪ Alveolar macrophages or
dust cells patrol the epithelial surface
and phagocytize any particles that have eluded other defenses .
▪ The conducting zone
of the respiratory
system consists of
the mouth, nose,
pharynx, larynx,
trachea, bronchi
and bronchioles.
▪ The respiratory zone
is the region where
gas exchange occurs
and includes the
respiratory bronchioles and the alveolar sacs.
Lungs
▪ The paired lungs occupy
much of the thoracic
cavity. Each lung is
divided into lobes.
▪ The left lung has 2 lobes
and is smaller than the
right lung which has 3
lobes.
▪ Each lobe is supplied
with secondary
bronchus, blood &
 lymphatic vessels
and nerves.
▪ The lungs consist of
air passages, alveoli, blood and lymphatic vessels, and connective tissues
giving the lungs
a soft, spongy
texture.
▪ The visceral pleura
is firmly attached to
the surface of each
lung, and the parietal
pleura lines the inner
 wall of the thorax.
▪ The space between the visceral and parietal
pleurae is known as the pleural cavity.
▪ A thin film of serous fluid occupies the
pleural cavity and reduces friction between
the pleural membranes as the lungs inflate
and deflate during breathing.
▪ Although lungs are elastic and tend to
contract, the attraction of water molecules
in the serous fluid within the pleural cavity
keeps the visceral and parietal pleurae
pressed together.
Blood supply of the lungs
• The blood supply to the lungs plays an important role in gas exchange and serves
as a transport system for gases throughout the body.

• It contains deoxygenated blood which travels to the lungs where the RBC pick up
oxygen to be transported to tissues throughout the body.

• The pulmonary artery is an artery that arises from the pulmonary trunk and carries
deoxygenated, arterial blood to the alveoli.

• The pulmonary artery branches multiple times as it follows the bronchi, and each
branch becomes progressively smaller in diameter.

• One arteriole and an accompanying venule supply and drain one lobule.

• Near the alveoli, the pulmonary arteries become the pulmonary capillary network
consisting of tiny blood vessels with very thin walls that lack smooth muscle fibers.

• The capillaries branch and follow the bronchioles and structure of the alveoli. This is
where the capillary wall meets the alveolar wall, creating the respiratory membrane.

• Once the blood becomes oxygenated, it drains from the alveoli by way of multiple
pulmonary veins, which exit the lungs through the hilum.