2024 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
FISDAP Airway Exam Questions and Correct
Answers | Latest Update
From the atmosphere, what structures does air pass through during ventilation?
✓ -:- Starts in atmosphere, then nose, nasopharyngeal space/orophargyneal
space (if mouth breather), then pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi,
bronchioles, alveoli
What is the purpose of the nasal passages and nasopharynx?
✓ -:- To warm/humidify air as it passes through
What is the difference between respiration and ventilation?
✓ -:- Respiration refers to the exchange of gases in the alveoli, ventilation
refers to the movement of air into the lungs. Respiration is needed to
provide O2 to cells and remove waste products. Also regulates pH of
blood.
What are the structures of the upper airway?
✓ -:- nose, mouth, tongue, jaw, pharynx and larynx
1|P a g e | G r a d e A + | 2 0 2 0 2 5
,2024 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
What structure is considered a landmark that divides the upper airway from lower?
✓ -:- The larynx, anything above is upper. The larynx and below are lower.
What are the structures of the lower airways?
✓ -:- larynx (includes adam's apple/thyroid cartilage, cricothyroid
membrane, cricoid cartilage), trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
Describe the anatomy of the larynx.
✓ -:- From superior to inferior. Thyroid cartilage, cricothyroid membrane,
and cricoid membrane. The thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage are
anterior to the larynx, and the cricothyroid membrane is posterior to
both structures.
True or false: the lungs are completely equal in the midsaggital plane.
✓ -:- False, right lungs has 3 lobes, left lung only has 2 lobes. Together
they have 5 total. Also, the right bronchi is inferior to the left bronchi.
What are the structures of the lungs in order of ventilation?
2|P a g e | G r a d e A + | 2 0 2 0 2 5
,2024 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
✓ -:- bronchioles, and alveoli
True or false: the lungs use muscles found in the lateral lobes to expand and contract?
✓ -:- False: the lungs are hollow organs and contain no muscles. When the
diaphragm contracts it expands the thoracic cavity. The pleural space has
a negative pressure and the lungs expand. This results in a slightly
negative pressure (compared to the atmosphere) and air rushes in.
True or false: Air rushes into the lungs because of negative pressure.
✓ -:- True, when the lungs expand, they are creating a vacuum because
they are expanding the volume of the container. This increase in volume
causes influx of air into the container until the pressure is equalized with
the atmosphere.
True or false: The parietal pleura lines the lungs and the visceral pleura lines the lungs. The
space between is called the anterior pleura.
✓ -:- False: the visceral pleura lines the lungs, the parietal pleura lines the
body cavity and the pleural space is the space in between bot h where
body fluid allows for both to smoothly glide.
3|P a g e | G r a d e A + | 2 0 2 0 2 5
, 2024 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
What muscles are involved in inhalation?
✓ -:- The diaphragm, cervical muscles (neck), intercostals, abdominal
muscles, and pectoral muscles.
What muscles are involved in expiration?
✓ -:- none, expiration (if done passively) is achieved by the relaxation of
the diaphragm.
What is the primary driver of respiration? (Why would we increase/decrease RR?)
✓ -:- The CSF in the brain has chemoreceptors sensitive to CO2. When
there is too much CO2. The pH changes. These sensors feed back to the
medulla oblongata, which stimulates the phrenic nerve which innervates
the diaphragm. They cause an increase in activity of the diaphragm. This
increases the RR which causes us to increase tidal volume. This means
more CO2 is exhaled. And brings our pH back to normal.
We also have the less sensitive hypoxic drive
What is hypoxic drive?
4|P a g e | G r a d e A + | 2 0 2 0 2 5
FISDAP Airway Exam Questions and Correct
Answers | Latest Update
From the atmosphere, what structures does air pass through during ventilation?
✓ -:- Starts in atmosphere, then nose, nasopharyngeal space/orophargyneal
space (if mouth breather), then pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi,
bronchioles, alveoli
What is the purpose of the nasal passages and nasopharynx?
✓ -:- To warm/humidify air as it passes through
What is the difference between respiration and ventilation?
✓ -:- Respiration refers to the exchange of gases in the alveoli, ventilation
refers to the movement of air into the lungs. Respiration is needed to
provide O2 to cells and remove waste products. Also regulates pH of
blood.
What are the structures of the upper airway?
✓ -:- nose, mouth, tongue, jaw, pharynx and larynx
1|P a g e | G r a d e A + | 2 0 2 0 2 5
,2024 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
What structure is considered a landmark that divides the upper airway from lower?
✓ -:- The larynx, anything above is upper. The larynx and below are lower.
What are the structures of the lower airways?
✓ -:- larynx (includes adam's apple/thyroid cartilage, cricothyroid
membrane, cricoid cartilage), trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
Describe the anatomy of the larynx.
✓ -:- From superior to inferior. Thyroid cartilage, cricothyroid membrane,
and cricoid membrane. The thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage are
anterior to the larynx, and the cricothyroid membrane is posterior to
both structures.
True or false: the lungs are completely equal in the midsaggital plane.
✓ -:- False, right lungs has 3 lobes, left lung only has 2 lobes. Together
they have 5 total. Also, the right bronchi is inferior to the left bronchi.
What are the structures of the lungs in order of ventilation?
2|P a g e | G r a d e A + | 2 0 2 0 2 5
,2024 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
✓ -:- bronchioles, and alveoli
True or false: the lungs use muscles found in the lateral lobes to expand and contract?
✓ -:- False: the lungs are hollow organs and contain no muscles. When the
diaphragm contracts it expands the thoracic cavity. The pleural space has
a negative pressure and the lungs expand. This results in a slightly
negative pressure (compared to the atmosphere) and air rushes in.
True or false: Air rushes into the lungs because of negative pressure.
✓ -:- True, when the lungs expand, they are creating a vacuum because
they are expanding the volume of the container. This increase in volume
causes influx of air into the container until the pressure is equalized with
the atmosphere.
True or false: The parietal pleura lines the lungs and the visceral pleura lines the lungs. The
space between is called the anterior pleura.
✓ -:- False: the visceral pleura lines the lungs, the parietal pleura lines the
body cavity and the pleural space is the space in between bot h where
body fluid allows for both to smoothly glide.
3|P a g e | G r a d e A + | 2 0 2 0 2 5
, 2024 /2025 | © copyright | This work may not be copied for profit gain Excel!
What muscles are involved in inhalation?
✓ -:- The diaphragm, cervical muscles (neck), intercostals, abdominal
muscles, and pectoral muscles.
What muscles are involved in expiration?
✓ -:- none, expiration (if done passively) is achieved by the relaxation of
the diaphragm.
What is the primary driver of respiration? (Why would we increase/decrease RR?)
✓ -:- The CSF in the brain has chemoreceptors sensitive to CO2. When
there is too much CO2. The pH changes. These sensors feed back to the
medulla oblongata, which stimulates the phrenic nerve which innervates
the diaphragm. They cause an increase in activity of the diaphragm. This
increases the RR which causes us to increase tidal volume. This means
more CO2 is exhaled. And brings our pH back to normal.
We also have the less sensitive hypoxic drive
What is hypoxic drive?
4|P a g e | G r a d e A + | 2 0 2 0 2 5
