FISDAP Airway Exam Questions and
Answers 100% Solved
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
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.
1
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,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? -
✔✔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.
2
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
,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 both where body
fluid allows for both to smoothly glide.
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
3
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
, 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? - ✔✔Backup system to control respiration.
Chemoreceptors in brain, aorta, and carotid arteries. But they are
"satisfied" by a small amount of O2, which means it is not as sensitive as
pH control of CO2
What two areas of the brain are involved in respiration? - ✔✔medulla-
controls rhythm, initiates inspiration, sets base pattern for respirations, and
stimulates diaphragm to contract.
pons-changes depth of inspiration, expiration or both.
True or false: arteries bring oxygenated blood to organs/capillaries -
✔✔True in most cases with one exception. Arteries (away) bring blood
away from the heart. Usually this is oxygenated blood. But the pulmonary
arteries bring oxygen poor blood away from the heart, to the lungs to be
oxygenated.
4
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
Answers 100% Solved
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
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.
1
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
,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? -
✔✔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.
2
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
,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 both where body
fluid allows for both to smoothly glide.
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
3
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
, 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? - ✔✔Backup system to control respiration.
Chemoreceptors in brain, aorta, and carotid arteries. But they are
"satisfied" by a small amount of O2, which means it is not as sensitive as
pH control of CO2
What two areas of the brain are involved in respiration? - ✔✔medulla-
controls rhythm, initiates inspiration, sets base pattern for respirations, and
stimulates diaphragm to contract.
pons-changes depth of inspiration, expiration or both.
True or false: arteries bring oxygenated blood to organs/capillaries -
✔✔True in most cases with one exception. Arteries (away) bring blood
away from the heart. Usually this is oxygenated blood. But the pulmonary
arteries bring oxygen poor blood away from the heart, to the lungs to be
oxygenated.
4
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
