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FISDAP Airway Exam Questions and
Correct Answers/ Latest Update / Already
Graded
From the atmosphere, what structures does air pass through during
ventilation?
Ans: 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?
Ans: To warm/humidify air as it passes through
What is the difference between respiration and ventilation?
Ans: 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?
Ans: nose, mouth, tongue, jaw, pharynx and larynx
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What structure is considered a landmark that divides the upper airway
from lower?
Ans: The larynx, anything above is upper. The larynx and below
are lower.
What are the structures of the lower airways?
Ans: larynx (includes adam's apple/thyroid cartilage,
cricothyroid membrane, cricoid cartilage), trachea, bronchi,
bronchioles, alveoli
Describe the anatomy of the larynx.
Ans: 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.
Ans: 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?
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Ans: bronchioles, and alveoli
True or false: the lungs use muscles found in the lateral lobes to expand
and contract?
Ans: 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.
Ans: 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.
Ans: False: the visceral pleura lines the lungs, the parietal
pleura lines the body cavity and the pleural space is the space in
between both where body fluid allows for both to smoothly
glide.
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What muscles are involved in inhalation?
Ans: The diaphragm, cervical muscles (neck), intercostals,
abdominal muscles, and pectoral muscles.
What muscles are involved in expiration?
Ans: 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?)
Ans: 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?
Ans: Backup system to control respiration. Chemoreceptors in
brain, aorta, and carotid arteries. But they are "satisfied" by a
All rights reserved © 2025/ 2026 |
FISDAP Airway Exam Questions and
Correct Answers/ Latest Update / Already
Graded
From the atmosphere, what structures does air pass through during
ventilation?
Ans: 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?
Ans: To warm/humidify air as it passes through
What is the difference between respiration and ventilation?
Ans: 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?
Ans: nose, mouth, tongue, jaw, pharynx and larynx
All rights reserved © 2025/ 2026 |
, Page |2
What structure is considered a landmark that divides the upper airway
from lower?
Ans: The larynx, anything above is upper. The larynx and below
are lower.
What are the structures of the lower airways?
Ans: larynx (includes adam's apple/thyroid cartilage,
cricothyroid membrane, cricoid cartilage), trachea, bronchi,
bronchioles, alveoli
Describe the anatomy of the larynx.
Ans: 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.
Ans: 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?
All rights reserved © 2025/ 2026 |
, Page |3
Ans: bronchioles, and alveoli
True or false: the lungs use muscles found in the lateral lobes to expand
and contract?
Ans: 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.
Ans: 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.
Ans: False: the visceral pleura lines the lungs, the parietal
pleura lines the body cavity and the pleural space is the space in
between both where body fluid allows for both to smoothly
glide.
All rights reserved © 2025/ 2026 |
, Page |4
What muscles are involved in inhalation?
Ans: The diaphragm, cervical muscles (neck), intercostals,
abdominal muscles, and pectoral muscles.
What muscles are involved in expiration?
Ans: 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?)
Ans: 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?
Ans: Backup system to control respiration. Chemoreceptors in
brain, aorta, and carotid arteries. But they are "satisfied" by a
All rights reserved © 2025/ 2026 |
