Human Anatomy and Physiology

Chapter 22 The Respiratory System

 
Overview of the Respiratory System
Learning Outcomes

1. Describe and distinguish between the upper and lower respiratory tracts.
2. Describe and distinguish between the conducting and respiratory zones of the respiratory tract.
3. Describe the major functions of the respiratory system.
4. Define and describe the four respiratory processes—pulmonary ventilation, pulmonary gas exchange, gas transport, and tissue gas exchange.

1. Trace the pathway through which air passes during inspiration.
2. Describe the gross anatomical features and function of each region of the respiratory tract, the pleural and thoracic cavities, and the pulmonary blood vessels and nerves.
3. Describe the histology of the different regions of the respiratory tract, the types of cells present in alveoli, and the structure of the respiratory membrane.
4. Explain how the changes in epithelial and connective tissue in air passageways relate to their function.
5. Describe the structure of the lungs and pleural cavities.

1. Describe how pressure and volume are related, and explain how this relationship applies to pulmonary ventilation.
2. Explain how the inspiratory muscles, accessory muscles of inspiration, and accessory muscles of expiration change the volume of the thoracic cavity.
3. Explain how the values for atmospheric pressure, intrapulmonary pressure, and intrapleural pressure change with inspiration and expiration.
4. Explain how each of the following factors affects pulmonary ventilation: airway resistance, pulmonary compliance, and alveolar surface tension.
5. Describe and identify the values for the respiratory volumes and the respiratory capacities.

1. Describe the relationship of Dalton’s law and Henry’s law to pulmonary and tissue gas exchange and to the amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide dissolved in plasma.
2. Describe oxygen and carbon dioxide pressure gradients and net gas movements in pulmonary and tissue gas exchange.
3. Explain how oxygen and carbon dioxide movements are affected by changes in partial pressure gradients.
4. Describe the mechanisms of ventilation-perfusion matching.
5. Explain the factors that maintain oxygen and carbon dioxide gradients between blood and tissue cells.

1. Describe the ways in which oxygen is transported in blood, including the reversible reaction for oxygen binding to hemoglobin.
2. Interpret the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve, and describe the factors that affect the curve.
3. Describe the ways in which carbon dioxide is transported in blood, including the reversible reaction that converts carbon dioxide and water to carbonic acid.
4. Predict how changing the partial pressure of carbon dioxide will affect the pH of plasma.
5. Describe the conditions hyperventilation and hypoventilation.

 
Putting It All Together: The Big Picture of Respiration
Learning Outcomes
1.     Describe the overall big picture of the processes involved in respiration.
 
Neural Control of Ventilation
Learning Outcomes

1. Describe the locations and functions of the brainstem respiratory centers.
2. List and describe the major chemical and neural stimuli to the respiratory centers.
3. Compare and contrast the central and peripheral chemoreceptors.

1. Explain the difference between restrictive and obstructive disease patterns.
2. Describe the basic pathophysiology for certain pulmonary diseases.