PHGY 216 MODULE 3: RESPIRATORY
PHYSIOLOGY EXAM
What is the process of internal respiration? - Correct Answers -- oxygen is necessary for
the production of cellular energy which takes the form of ATP
- the production of ATP creates carbon dioxide that must be expelled from the cells
What does external respiration involve? - Correct Answers -all of the processes that
bring oxygen from the atmosphere into the body, the transport of oxygen to the tissues
and the removal of carbon dioxide from the tissues and its release back into the
atmosphere
What are the 4 steps of external respiration? - Correct Answers -Ventilation, exchange
of CO2 & O2 between air and blood, transport of O2 & CO2, exchange CO2 & O2
between blood and tissue cells
What happens during ventilation? - Correct Answers -- air is moved in and out of the
lungs
- this is called breathing or ventilation and moves air between the atmosphere and the
alveoli in the lungs
What happens during exchange of O2 and CO2 between air and blood? - Correct
Answers -the diffusion of oxygen from the alveoli to the pulmonary capillaries and the
movement of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction
What happens during transport of O2 and CO2? - Correct Answers -the transport of
oxygen in the blood to the tissues and the movement of carbon dioxide in the opposite
direction
What happens during exchange of O2 and CO2 between blood and tissues? - Correct
Answers -the exchange of oxygen from the blood to the tissues and carbon dioxide from
the tissues into the blood via diffusion
In addition to external respiration, what are the other functions of the respiratory
system? - Correct Answers -- enables speech by air passing over the vocal cords
- defends against inhaled foreign matter
- the respiratory muscles play a role in parturition and defecation
- the lung acts as a blood reservoir to allow for rapid equalization of left and right cardiac
outputs
,- helps to maintain the acid-base balance
What are the 3 anatomical parts of the respiratory system? - Correct Answers -the
lungs, the chest wall and the pleural space
What is the function of the airways? - Correct Answers -to carry air between the
atmosphere and the alveoli where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged
What does the upper airway include? - Correct Answers -- the nose, nasal cavities,
pharynx which is the common tube for respiration and the digestive system
- from the pharynx, air travels to the larynx which is the location of the vocal chords
What does the lower airway include? - Correct Answers -- begins with the trachea,
which divides into the left and right bronchi, each of which supplies a lung
- the bronchi branch into progressively narrower airways known as the bronchioles
- the smallest bronchioles are known as the respiratory bronchioles as their walls are so
thin that some gas exchange can occur
- at the end of the terminal bronchioles are alveoli, the air sacs where the majority of
gases are exchanged between air and blood
What is the branching airways of the lower tract described as? - Correct Answers -the
respiratory tree or the tracheobronchial tree
As the branches get smaller, the overall cross sectional area increases, why is this
important? - Correct Answers -this is important as it allows for the transition from
convective flow, which requires energy in the form of muscle contraction to maintain air
flow to diffusive flow, which occurs passively to allow air to flow into the alveoli
When does the diffusive zone begin? - Correct Answers -at the level of the respiratory
bronchioles
What is the chest wall? - Correct Answers -anything else that contributes to respiration
and includes the thorax and the abdomen
What does the thoracic cavity contain and what is it protected by? - Correct Answers -
the lungs and the heart as is protected by the rib cage
What does the chest wall contain? - Correct Answers -the muscles that are necessary in
generating pressures that allow air flow
Where are the intercostal muscle found? - Correct Answers -between the ribs and are
divided into the inner intercostal muscles and the external intercostal muscles, which lie
over the innermost intercostal muscles
What is the thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity separated by? - Correct Answers -the
diaphragm, a large sheet of skeletal muscle
, What are the muscles of inspiration? - Correct Answers -the diaphragm and the external
intercostal muscles
What happens during inspiration? - Correct Answers -- during inspiration, the diaphragm
descends to enlarge the thoracic cavity
- contraction of the external intercostal muscles elevates the ribs to further enlarge the
thoracic cavity
What are the muscles of expiration? - Correct Answers -the internal intercostal muscles
and the abdominal muscles
What are the muscles of expiration responsible for? - Correct Answers -decreasing the
volume of the thoracic cavity
When are the muscles of expiration recruited? - Correct Answers -in healthy individuals,
these muscles are generally inactive and only get recruited when there is an increase in
ventilator demand as during exercise or during coughing, sneezing and vomiting
What are the lungs covered by? - Correct Answers -the visceral pleura and the inside of
the wall of the thorax is lined by the parietal pleura
What is between the visceral and parietal pleura and what is it filled with? - Correct
Answers -the pleural space and it is filled with pleural fluid, this fluid allows the
membranes to rub against each other during breathing with reduced friction
What are the 2 processes of respiration? - Correct Answers -- the ability of the
respiratory muscles to generate the necessary pressure gradient to move air through
the airways and inflate the lungs
- the ability of oxygen and carbon dioxide to diffuse across the alveolar-capillary barrier
What is the driving force of air flow? - Correct Answers -the pressure gradient
What is the pressure gradient used to overcome in the respiratory system? - Correct
Answers -the elastance or stiffness of the respiratory system, the resistance to flow, and
the inertia of the system
What needs to happen to the pressure in the alveoli for air to flow in? - Correct Answers
-the pressure in the alveoli must be lower than the pressure in the nose
What needs to happen to the pressure in the alveoli for air to flow out? - Correct
Answers -the pressure in the alveoli must be greater than the pressure in the nose
What is PB? - Correct Answers -- atmospheric pressure or barometric pressure
- the pressure exerted by the weight of the air in the atmosphere on the Earth's surface
- 0 cmH2O
PHYSIOLOGY EXAM
What is the process of internal respiration? - Correct Answers -- oxygen is necessary for
the production of cellular energy which takes the form of ATP
- the production of ATP creates carbon dioxide that must be expelled from the cells
What does external respiration involve? - Correct Answers -all of the processes that
bring oxygen from the atmosphere into the body, the transport of oxygen to the tissues
and the removal of carbon dioxide from the tissues and its release back into the
atmosphere
What are the 4 steps of external respiration? - Correct Answers -Ventilation, exchange
of CO2 & O2 between air and blood, transport of O2 & CO2, exchange CO2 & O2
between blood and tissue cells
What happens during ventilation? - Correct Answers -- air is moved in and out of the
lungs
- this is called breathing or ventilation and moves air between the atmosphere and the
alveoli in the lungs
What happens during exchange of O2 and CO2 between air and blood? - Correct
Answers -the diffusion of oxygen from the alveoli to the pulmonary capillaries and the
movement of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction
What happens during transport of O2 and CO2? - Correct Answers -the transport of
oxygen in the blood to the tissues and the movement of carbon dioxide in the opposite
direction
What happens during exchange of O2 and CO2 between blood and tissues? - Correct
Answers -the exchange of oxygen from the blood to the tissues and carbon dioxide from
the tissues into the blood via diffusion
In addition to external respiration, what are the other functions of the respiratory
system? - Correct Answers -- enables speech by air passing over the vocal cords
- defends against inhaled foreign matter
- the respiratory muscles play a role in parturition and defecation
- the lung acts as a blood reservoir to allow for rapid equalization of left and right cardiac
outputs
,- helps to maintain the acid-base balance
What are the 3 anatomical parts of the respiratory system? - Correct Answers -the
lungs, the chest wall and the pleural space
What is the function of the airways? - Correct Answers -to carry air between the
atmosphere and the alveoli where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged
What does the upper airway include? - Correct Answers -- the nose, nasal cavities,
pharynx which is the common tube for respiration and the digestive system
- from the pharynx, air travels to the larynx which is the location of the vocal chords
What does the lower airway include? - Correct Answers -- begins with the trachea,
which divides into the left and right bronchi, each of which supplies a lung
- the bronchi branch into progressively narrower airways known as the bronchioles
- the smallest bronchioles are known as the respiratory bronchioles as their walls are so
thin that some gas exchange can occur
- at the end of the terminal bronchioles are alveoli, the air sacs where the majority of
gases are exchanged between air and blood
What is the branching airways of the lower tract described as? - Correct Answers -the
respiratory tree or the tracheobronchial tree
As the branches get smaller, the overall cross sectional area increases, why is this
important? - Correct Answers -this is important as it allows for the transition from
convective flow, which requires energy in the form of muscle contraction to maintain air
flow to diffusive flow, which occurs passively to allow air to flow into the alveoli
When does the diffusive zone begin? - Correct Answers -at the level of the respiratory
bronchioles
What is the chest wall? - Correct Answers -anything else that contributes to respiration
and includes the thorax and the abdomen
What does the thoracic cavity contain and what is it protected by? - Correct Answers -
the lungs and the heart as is protected by the rib cage
What does the chest wall contain? - Correct Answers -the muscles that are necessary in
generating pressures that allow air flow
Where are the intercostal muscle found? - Correct Answers -between the ribs and are
divided into the inner intercostal muscles and the external intercostal muscles, which lie
over the innermost intercostal muscles
What is the thoracic cavity and abdominal cavity separated by? - Correct Answers -the
diaphragm, a large sheet of skeletal muscle
, What are the muscles of inspiration? - Correct Answers -the diaphragm and the external
intercostal muscles
What happens during inspiration? - Correct Answers -- during inspiration, the diaphragm
descends to enlarge the thoracic cavity
- contraction of the external intercostal muscles elevates the ribs to further enlarge the
thoracic cavity
What are the muscles of expiration? - Correct Answers -the internal intercostal muscles
and the abdominal muscles
What are the muscles of expiration responsible for? - Correct Answers -decreasing the
volume of the thoracic cavity
When are the muscles of expiration recruited? - Correct Answers -in healthy individuals,
these muscles are generally inactive and only get recruited when there is an increase in
ventilator demand as during exercise or during coughing, sneezing and vomiting
What are the lungs covered by? - Correct Answers -the visceral pleura and the inside of
the wall of the thorax is lined by the parietal pleura
What is between the visceral and parietal pleura and what is it filled with? - Correct
Answers -the pleural space and it is filled with pleural fluid, this fluid allows the
membranes to rub against each other during breathing with reduced friction
What are the 2 processes of respiration? - Correct Answers -- the ability of the
respiratory muscles to generate the necessary pressure gradient to move air through
the airways and inflate the lungs
- the ability of oxygen and carbon dioxide to diffuse across the alveolar-capillary barrier
What is the driving force of air flow? - Correct Answers -the pressure gradient
What is the pressure gradient used to overcome in the respiratory system? - Correct
Answers -the elastance or stiffness of the respiratory system, the resistance to flow, and
the inertia of the system
What needs to happen to the pressure in the alveoli for air to flow in? - Correct Answers
-the pressure in the alveoli must be lower than the pressure in the nose
What needs to happen to the pressure in the alveoli for air to flow out? - Correct
Answers -the pressure in the alveoli must be greater than the pressure in the nose
What is PB? - Correct Answers -- atmospheric pressure or barometric pressure
- the pressure exerted by the weight of the air in the atmosphere on the Earth's surface
- 0 cmH2O
