RAD 112 - CHEST ANATOMY QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS
What are the divisions of the chest? - Answers :bony thorax, respiratory system, &
mediastinum
What is the bony thorax? - Answers :Protective framework
What is in the respiratory system (division)? - Answers :Lungs and airways
What is in the mediastinum? - Answers :Space between lungs & contains heart and
great vessels
What are the boundaries of the chest? - Answers :top, bottom, and sides
What is the top boundary? - Answers :superior thoracic aperture or thoracic inlet
What is the bottom boundary? - Answers :inferior thoracic aperture or thoracic outlet
(diaphragm)
What are the side boundaries? - Answers :walls of bony thorax
What does the thorax contain? - Answers :Lungs, Heart, Great vessels, Lymphatic
system, Esophagus, & Trachea
What are the three chambers of the chest? - Answers :Pericardial Cavity or
mediastinum, Right & Left Pleural Cavities
What lines the chest cavity? - Answers :serous membranes that produce serious fluid
Why is the serious fluid in the chest? - Answers :to reduce friction
What is a pleura? - Answers :a double membrane in the chest cavity
What are the three aspects (parts) of the pleura? - Answers :Partital pleura
visceral pleura
plural cavity
What does the parietal pleura cover? - Answers :Covers chest wall, diaphragm, and
mediastinum (outer membrane)
What does the visceral pleura or (pulmonary pleura) cover? - Answers :Covers the
lungs (inner membrane)
What is the pleural cavity? - Answers :Is a potential space between the membranes
,What is a pneumothorax? - Answers :commonly called a collapsed lung & caused by air
or gas in the pleural cavity
What is a hemothorax? - Answers :blood in the pleural cavity
What does the respiratory system include? - Answers :Pharynx, Trachea, Bronchi, &
Two lungs
What are the three parts of the pharynx? - Answers :Nasopharynx, Oropharynx, &
Laryngopharynx
What is the voice box? - Answers :larnyx
What is the larynx located? - Answers :suspended from hyoid bone & in anterior third of
neck from ~ C4 to C6
Where is the epiglottis located? - Answers :at the upper margin of the larynx
What is the larnyx made up of? - Answers :cartilages
What is the largest cartilage and where is it located? - Answers :thyroid cartilage or
Adams Apple at the level of C5
Where is the cricoid cartilage located? - Answers :at the level of C6
What is the trachea made up of? - Answers :16 - 20 C-shaped cartilaginous rings that
keep it from collapsing on inspiration
What are the dimensions of the trachea? - Answers :a fibromuscular tube 2 cm (0.75")
in diameter and 11 cm (4.5") in length
What does the trachea extend from? - Answers :C6 to T4/T5 where it bifurcates into the
right and left primary bronchi
What is the carina? - Answers :a prominent ridge of cartilage at the lowest point of the
trachea at the bifurcation
What is a common reference point used in cross sectional anatomy, CT, and MRI? -
Answers :the carina
What is the shape and size of the right primary bronchi? - Answers :it's wider and more
vertical than the left, approx. 2.5 cm in length & 1.3 cm in diameter, 25° from vertical, &
divides into three secondary bronchi
, Where is a common place for foreign bodies (FB) to lodge? - Answers :the right primary
bronchi
What is the shape and size of the left primary bronchi? - Answers :Longer and narrower
than right, approx. 5 cm in length & 1.1 cm in diameter, 37° from vertical, & divides into
two secondary bronchi
What are tertiary bronchi? - Answers :Bronchioles & Terminal bronchioles
What are alveoli? - Answers :the working part of the respiratory system & where the gas
exchange takes place
What is the major lung anatomy seen in chest x-rays? - Answers :hilum, apex/apices,
base, costophrenic angles, & cardiophrenic angles
What is the hilum? - Answers :A wedge shaped area where bronchi, blood vessels,
lymph vessels, & nerves enter and leave the lungs
Where is the hilum located? - Answers :Lies central & medial in the lung
What is the apex (apices)? - Answers :the rounded area located above the clavicles
What is the base of the lungs? - Answers :the bottom of the lungs that lay above the
diaphragm
Why is the right base normally higher than the left base? - Answers :the liver
What are the costophrenic angles? - Answers :The angle of lung where the ribs meet
the diaphragm
costo- - Answers :ribs
-phrenic - Answers :diaphragm
What are the cardiophrenic angles? - Answers :The angle of lung where the
mediastinum meets the diaphragm
How many lobes does the right lung have? - Answers :3
What are the lobes of the right lung? - Answers :Upper/superior lobe, middle lobe, &
lower/inferior lobe
How many deep fissures does the right lung have? - Answers :2
How many lobes does the left lung have? - Answers :2
ANSWERS
What are the divisions of the chest? - Answers :bony thorax, respiratory system, &
mediastinum
What is the bony thorax? - Answers :Protective framework
What is in the respiratory system (division)? - Answers :Lungs and airways
What is in the mediastinum? - Answers :Space between lungs & contains heart and
great vessels
What are the boundaries of the chest? - Answers :top, bottom, and sides
What is the top boundary? - Answers :superior thoracic aperture or thoracic inlet
What is the bottom boundary? - Answers :inferior thoracic aperture or thoracic outlet
(diaphragm)
What are the side boundaries? - Answers :walls of bony thorax
What does the thorax contain? - Answers :Lungs, Heart, Great vessels, Lymphatic
system, Esophagus, & Trachea
What are the three chambers of the chest? - Answers :Pericardial Cavity or
mediastinum, Right & Left Pleural Cavities
What lines the chest cavity? - Answers :serous membranes that produce serious fluid
Why is the serious fluid in the chest? - Answers :to reduce friction
What is a pleura? - Answers :a double membrane in the chest cavity
What are the three aspects (parts) of the pleura? - Answers :Partital pleura
visceral pleura
plural cavity
What does the parietal pleura cover? - Answers :Covers chest wall, diaphragm, and
mediastinum (outer membrane)
What does the visceral pleura or (pulmonary pleura) cover? - Answers :Covers the
lungs (inner membrane)
What is the pleural cavity? - Answers :Is a potential space between the membranes
,What is a pneumothorax? - Answers :commonly called a collapsed lung & caused by air
or gas in the pleural cavity
What is a hemothorax? - Answers :blood in the pleural cavity
What does the respiratory system include? - Answers :Pharynx, Trachea, Bronchi, &
Two lungs
What are the three parts of the pharynx? - Answers :Nasopharynx, Oropharynx, &
Laryngopharynx
What is the voice box? - Answers :larnyx
What is the larynx located? - Answers :suspended from hyoid bone & in anterior third of
neck from ~ C4 to C6
Where is the epiglottis located? - Answers :at the upper margin of the larynx
What is the larnyx made up of? - Answers :cartilages
What is the largest cartilage and where is it located? - Answers :thyroid cartilage or
Adams Apple at the level of C5
Where is the cricoid cartilage located? - Answers :at the level of C6
What is the trachea made up of? - Answers :16 - 20 C-shaped cartilaginous rings that
keep it from collapsing on inspiration
What are the dimensions of the trachea? - Answers :a fibromuscular tube 2 cm (0.75")
in diameter and 11 cm (4.5") in length
What does the trachea extend from? - Answers :C6 to T4/T5 where it bifurcates into the
right and left primary bronchi
What is the carina? - Answers :a prominent ridge of cartilage at the lowest point of the
trachea at the bifurcation
What is a common reference point used in cross sectional anatomy, CT, and MRI? -
Answers :the carina
What is the shape and size of the right primary bronchi? - Answers :it's wider and more
vertical than the left, approx. 2.5 cm in length & 1.3 cm in diameter, 25° from vertical, &
divides into three secondary bronchi
, Where is a common place for foreign bodies (FB) to lodge? - Answers :the right primary
bronchi
What is the shape and size of the left primary bronchi? - Answers :Longer and narrower
than right, approx. 5 cm in length & 1.1 cm in diameter, 37° from vertical, & divides into
two secondary bronchi
What are tertiary bronchi? - Answers :Bronchioles & Terminal bronchioles
What are alveoli? - Answers :the working part of the respiratory system & where the gas
exchange takes place
What is the major lung anatomy seen in chest x-rays? - Answers :hilum, apex/apices,
base, costophrenic angles, & cardiophrenic angles
What is the hilum? - Answers :A wedge shaped area where bronchi, blood vessels,
lymph vessels, & nerves enter and leave the lungs
Where is the hilum located? - Answers :Lies central & medial in the lung
What is the apex (apices)? - Answers :the rounded area located above the clavicles
What is the base of the lungs? - Answers :the bottom of the lungs that lay above the
diaphragm
Why is the right base normally higher than the left base? - Answers :the liver
What are the costophrenic angles? - Answers :The angle of lung where the ribs meet
the diaphragm
costo- - Answers :ribs
-phrenic - Answers :diaphragm
What are the cardiophrenic angles? - Answers :The angle of lung where the
mediastinum meets the diaphragm
How many lobes does the right lung have? - Answers :3
What are the lobes of the right lung? - Answers :Upper/superior lobe, middle lobe, &
lower/inferior lobe
How many deep fissures does the right lung have? - Answers :2
How many lobes does the left lung have? - Answers :2
