Anatomy of the respiratory tract
New-borns perform abdominal breathing – the abdomen rises up and down
Thoracic surface anatomy
- 1. Jugular notch, is central above the
sternum
- 2. Clavicle
- 3. Anterior auxiliary fold
- 4. Manubrium
- 5. Angle of Louis/Sternal angle
- 6. Sternum and markings of the pectoral
muscle
- 7. Xiphoid Process
- Black line = costal margin, edge of the ribs
- Vertical red line = midclavicular line
Thoracic cage
- Bony cage that encapsulates all of the thoracic
organs
- 12 pairs of ribs
- Grey markings medial to the ribs and lateral to the
sternum are the costal cartilages
o Provide elasticity for expansion and
contraction when breathing
Thoracic spine and vertebra
- 12 thoracic vertebra
- In the thoracic region each vertebra has a
body, foramen, transverse process laterally
on both sides. In the midline directly behind
the body there is the spinous process
- On the end of each of the transverse
processes are transverse costal facet – is
where the rib articulates against the
vertebra. Prevents the ribs from going back
further than they’re meant to
, Vertebra
- Between them have intervertebral discs – split into 2 main
parts. Central part = nucleus pulposus. Tough fibrous ring on
the outside – anulus fibrosus
- Made of fibrocartilage
- In the body there are 3 types of cartilage
o Hyaline
o Elastic
o Fibrous/Fibro – tough
- The vertebra have collagenous ligaments anterior to the body
and posterior to the vertebral arch
- Made of bundles of collagen fibre and are pretensed (under tension when resting)
Typical ribs
- Each has a head, neck, tubercle, costal
angle, body, costal groove
o The articular part of the
tubercle is the bit that presses
against the transverse
processes of the vertebral body
- Cross section of rib displays the spongy
red tissue – bone marrow, has
hematopoietic tissue
- Inside the costal groove sits the
intercostal neurovascular bundle – artery, vein, nerve
Atypical ribs
- 1st and 2nd ribs are atypical – their axes are in a
horizontal plane. This is because the 1st rib very rarely
moves
- 11th and 12th are atypical as they don’t attach
anteriorly to the sternum – floating ribs
New-borns perform abdominal breathing – the abdomen rises up and down
Thoracic surface anatomy
- 1. Jugular notch, is central above the
sternum
- 2. Clavicle
- 3. Anterior auxiliary fold
- 4. Manubrium
- 5. Angle of Louis/Sternal angle
- 6. Sternum and markings of the pectoral
muscle
- 7. Xiphoid Process
- Black line = costal margin, edge of the ribs
- Vertical red line = midclavicular line
Thoracic cage
- Bony cage that encapsulates all of the thoracic
organs
- 12 pairs of ribs
- Grey markings medial to the ribs and lateral to the
sternum are the costal cartilages
o Provide elasticity for expansion and
contraction when breathing
Thoracic spine and vertebra
- 12 thoracic vertebra
- In the thoracic region each vertebra has a
body, foramen, transverse process laterally
on both sides. In the midline directly behind
the body there is the spinous process
- On the end of each of the transverse
processes are transverse costal facet – is
where the rib articulates against the
vertebra. Prevents the ribs from going back
further than they’re meant to
, Vertebra
- Between them have intervertebral discs – split into 2 main
parts. Central part = nucleus pulposus. Tough fibrous ring on
the outside – anulus fibrosus
- Made of fibrocartilage
- In the body there are 3 types of cartilage
o Hyaline
o Elastic
o Fibrous/Fibro – tough
- The vertebra have collagenous ligaments anterior to the body
and posterior to the vertebral arch
- Made of bundles of collagen fibre and are pretensed (under tension when resting)
Typical ribs
- Each has a head, neck, tubercle, costal
angle, body, costal groove
o The articular part of the
tubercle is the bit that presses
against the transverse
processes of the vertebral body
- Cross section of rib displays the spongy
red tissue – bone marrow, has
hematopoietic tissue
- Inside the costal groove sits the
intercostal neurovascular bundle – artery, vein, nerve
Atypical ribs
- 1st and 2nd ribs are atypical – their axes are in a
horizontal plane. This is because the 1st rib very rarely
moves
- 11th and 12th are atypical as they don’t attach
anteriorly to the sternum – floating ribs
