Review: Introduction to the Respiratory System
Here is what we have learned from Introduction to the Respiratory System:
- The entire process of respiration includes ventilation, external respiration, transport of gases, internal respiration, and cellular respiration.
- The three pressures responsible for pulmonary ventilation are atmospheric pressure, intraalveolar pressure, and intrapleural pressure.
- A spirometer is used to measure respiratory volumes and capacities. These measurements provide useful information about the condition of the lungs.
- The frontal, maxillary, ethmoidal, and sphenoidal sinuses are air-filled cavities that open into the nasal cavity.
- The pharynx, commonly called the throat, is a passageway that extends from the base of the skull to the level of the sixth cervical vertebra.
- The larynx, commonly called the voice box, is the passageway for air between the pharynx above and the trachea below.
- The trachea, commonly called the windpipe, is the main airway to the lungs.
- The trachea divides into the right and left primary bronchi, which branch into smaller and smaller passageways until they terminate in tiny air sacs called alveoli.
- The two lungs contain all the components of the bronchial tree beyond the primary bronchi.
- The right lung is shorter, broader, and is divided into three lobes.
- The left lung is longer, narrower, and is divided into two lobes.
Quiz
Go to the quiz if you want to test yourself on the material you learned in this section. The quiz is a self-assessment tool and no records are kept. The feedback will let you know if you have answered the questions correctly. You can take the quiz as many times as you want.