ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY

RESPIRATORY
SYSTEM

LECTURER :
NUR SHAHIRAH BINTI NASIR

1
 OBJECTIVES
 Describe the basic functions of the
respiratory system.
 Differentiate the organ located at the upper
and lower respiratory tract.
 Describe the functions of the various
organs in respiratory tract.
 Explain the mechanism of inspiration and
expiration.

2
INTRODUCTION
Respiration is the sequence of events that results
in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
between the atmosphere and body cells.

3 processes involved in respiration :

1. Ventilation/breathing
2. External respiration
3. Internal respiration

3
BASIC FUNCTIONS
•Supplies body with oxygen
•Disposes of carbon dioxide

4
5
The respiratory system can be divided
into :

1. Upper respiratory tract

2. Lower respiratory tract

6
UPPER RESPIRATORY
TRACT
• Nose / nasal cavity
• Paranasal sinuses
• Pharynx
• Larynx

*URTI

7
LOWER RESPIRATORY
TRACT
• Trachea
• Bronchus/bronchi
• Bronchioles
• Alveolus

*pneumonia/ bronchitis

8
9
ORGANS OF THE
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

10
NOSE & NASAL CAVITY

• Airway for respiration.

• Lined with pseudostratified ciliated columnar
epithelium and goblet cell.
• Contains olfactory receptors (detecting smell)
• 3 Nasal conchae – increase the surface area of
the cavity to warm and moisten the air.

11
12
13
Superior conchae

Middle conchae

Inferior conchae

14
Functions of the nasal cavity

1. Filter, warm and moisten the

inhaled air
2. Detecting olfactory (smell) stimuli
3. Modifying the vibrations of speech
sounds.

15
PARANASAL SINUSES
• Air filled cavities in the facial and cranial
bones.
• 4 sinuses
1. Frontal sinus
2. Maxillary sinus
3. Ethmoidal sinus
4. Sphenoid sinus

16
17
Functions of the paranasal sinus
1. Lighten the skull.
2. Produce mucus and help to warm
and moisten the air

* Sinusitis

18
19
PHARYNX
• Funnel-shaped passageway.
• Connects nasal cavity and oral cavity.
• Divided into 3 sections:
•Nasopharynx
•Oropharynx
•Laryngopharynx

20
21
The nasopharynx

o Contains the opening to the pharyngotympanic

tube (auditory tube)
o equalize the air pressure.
o Tonsil – participate in immune responses and
help prevent infections.
o Pharyngeal tonsil (adenoids) – posterior wall
of the nasopharynx.

22
23
24
The oropharynx
o Posterior to oral cavity.
o Receives air, food and water
o 2 types of tonsils:
oPalatine tonsils - left and right sides at the back
of the throat
oLingual tonsils - on the surface of the posterior
portion of the tongue.

* Tonsilitis

25
26
The laryngopharynx

o Inferior portion of pharynx.

o Passageway for both food and air.
o Continuous with the esophagus and
larynx where the respiratory and
digestive pathways diverge.

27
Nasopharynx

Oropharynx

Laryngopharynx

28
LARYNX

• Attaches to the hyoid bone and opens into the

laryngopharynx superiorly.
• Continuous with the trachea.
• Commonly called the ‘voice box’.
• Lined by mucous membrane.
• Formed by 9 cartilages that are connected to
each other by muscles and ligaments.
*Thyroid cartilage - Adam’s apple

29
30
• Functions of the larynx
1. Voice production
2. Provides an open airway
3. Act as a switching mechanism to
route air and food into the proper
channels

31
32
33
EPIGLOTTIS
• A leaf-shaped piece of elastic cartilage that
is covered with epithelium.
• The ‘stem’ – attached to the anterior rim of
the thyroid cartilage and hyoid bone.
• The ‘leaf’ – unattached and is free to move
up and down like a trap door.

34
 Epiglottis covers the opening
Larynx open
of the larynx

Bolus of food

35
Vocal ligaments of the larynx

Upper pair
•Vestibular folds (false vocal cords)
• No role in sound production

Lower pair
•Vocal folds (true vocal cords)
• Act in sound production

36
VOICE BOX

37
38
TRACHEA
• ‘Windpipe’ – wide lumen extend from C6–T5.
• The wall lined with mucous membrane.
• C-shaped cartilage rings keep airway open.
• Function – conduct air between larynx and
primary bronchi.
• Carina of the last tracheal cartilage marks the
end of the trachea and the beginning of the
bronchi.

39
carina

40
41
42
BRONCHI
1. Primary :
• At T5: right and left
• R primary bronchus shorter and wider than L
bronchus

2. Secondary (lobar) bronchi

• 3 on the right
• 2 on the left

3. Tertiary (segmental) bronchi

• 10 on the right side
• 8 on the left side

Wall structure : formed by cartilage

43
44
BRONCHIOLES
• Little bronchi, less than 1 mm in diameter.
• The terminal bronchioles branch into smaller
respiratory bronchioles.
• Leads into microscopic alveolar ducts.
• Alveolar ducts terminate in cluster of tiny air sacs
called alveoli.
• Wall structure: formed by smooth muscle

45
46
ALVEOLUS
Surrounded by fine elastic fibers and blood capillaries.
Function - Exchange of gases between oxygen and
carbon dioxide.

SURFACTANT
Mixture of phospholipids and lipoproteins.
Functions - reduces the tendency of alveoli to collapse.
- keeps the surface between the cells and the
air moist.

47
48
49
LUNGS
• Spongy and cone-shaped organs in the
thoracic cavity.

• Protected by the surrounding sternum and

rib cage.

• Both the concave base of right lung and left

lung rest on the diaphragm muscle.

• The narrow apex projects under the clavicle.

50
51
RIGHT LUNG
• Shorter, broader and has greater volume.
• Divided into 3 lobes.
1. Superior
2. Middle
3. Inferior

• Between the superior & middle lobe is horizontal

fissure.
• Between the middle & inferior lobe is oblique
fissure.

52
LEFT LUNG

• Longer and narrower than right lung and has

indentation (cardiac notch)
• Has less volume because some space is taken
up by the heart.
• Divided into 2 lobes.
1. Superior
2. Inferior
• Between the superior and inferior lobe is oblique
fissure.

53
54
PLEURA
Double-layered serous membrane that surround the
lungs.
1. Visceral pleura
2. Parietal pleura

Pleural cavity
• Acts as lubricant to reduce friction.
• Helps to hold the 2 layers slide against each
other.

55
56
VENTILATION
Pulmonary ventilation
•The flow of air between the atmosphere
and the lungs.

•Occurs due to differences in air pressure

between the atmosphere and the gases
inside the lungs.

57
PRESSURES IN PULMONARY
VENTILATION

•Air flows from a region with higher pressure to a

region with lower pressure.

•Pulmonary ventilation involves three different

pressures:
1. Atmospheric pressure
2. Intraalveolar / intrapulmonary pressure
3. Intrapleural pressure

58
59
2 phases of pulmonary ventilation

1. Inspiration/inhalation
2. Expiration/exhalation

60
INSPIRATION
BREATH IN
• Pressure inside the lungs is less than
atmospheric air pressure

Active phase – muscle contraction

• Diaphragm
• intercostal muscle

61
EXPIRATION
BREATH OUT
• pressure inside the lungs is greater than the
atmospheric pressure

Passive process – muscle relaxation

• Elastic recoil of the diaphragm
• Relaxation of the intercostal muscles

62
63
 BREATHING MECHANISM
INSPIRATION EXPIRATION
Intercostal muscles Intercostal muscles relax
contract

Diaphragm contract and Diaphragm relax and

descends rises

Rib cage rises or move Rib cage descends or

outward move inward

The thoracic cavity The thoracic cavity

volume increases volume decreases

64
 RESPIRATION
Diffusion
External respiration
• Exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the air in
the alveoli and the blood in surroundings capillaries.

65
Internal respiration
• Exchange of gases between the tissue cells
and the blood in the tissue capillaries.

66
67
Thank you..

68