Exercise 1: Anatomy of the Respiratory System
What are the two functions of the larynx?
Larynx is a cartilaginous and a muscular structure while holds vocal cords together. It is used by human beings to talk, swallow and breathe. It is lined by the mucous membrane hence forming part of the respiratory system. Larynx protects the airways by closing quickly after mechanical simulation hence stopping respiratory and curbing the entry of foreign substances into the airways. The larynx also produces sound, controls ventilation and acts as a sensory organ.
Where does gas exchange take place in the lungs?
Gaseous exchange occurs in the lungs and for it to take place; there is the need for a place where capillary gaseous exchange can take place. Gaseous exchange in the lungs takes place in the alveoli. The alveoli are a sack like structure that is surrounded by capillaries. The capillaries are located at the respiratory bronchioles.
Trace a breath of air from the nose through to the alveoli. Name all the structures the air will pass through.
Starting from the nose, the air passes through the nostrils and enters the nasal cavity. The air then travels through the pharynx, then larynx and finally in the trachea. The trachea is divided into two bronchi, one leading into the lungs. The Bronchi is divided into bronchioles, which then branches into terminal bronchioles. The terminal bronchioles conduct air into the respiratory bronchioles, which in turn conducts air into the alveoli.
Why is the trachea ciliated?
The trachea is lined by pseudo-stratified and ciliated epithelium cells that can help it in the production of mucus. The main reason why the trachea is ciliated is to enable it trap foreign substances and to prevent the foreign substances from getting swallowed to the stomach. The cilia protect the nasal passages and other sections of the respiratory tract by filtering out dust and foreign particles entering the nose with air breathed. The cilia purify and clean the air we breathe (Whittemore, 2009).
What are goblet cells and where are they located?
The goblet cells are glandular, simple epithelial cells that are found in the trachea, colon, small intestines, bronchioles and bronchus. The goblet cells are scattered in the epithelium linings of organs in respiratory and intestinal tracts and in the conjunctiva of the eye lid.
Exercise 2: Normal and Diseased Respiratory Tissue
What characteristics of normal lung tissue are missing from diseased tissue?
Normal lungs receive supply of air through the nose and mouth all down to alveoli. Alteration of the gaseous exchange process can result in the lungs getting deceased. The normal breathing of the lungs and other functions are driven by diaphragm. Diaphragm provides the pressure that is responsible for the contraction and increase of the volumetric capacity of the lungs. Deceased lungs do not have a well functional diaphragm because it is affected by pulmonary diseases. Diseased lungs have its compliance and elasticity tampered because the alveolar sacs are destroyed. Deceased lungs lose its flexibility hence becoming mechanically unable to expel air (Whittemore, 2009).
How do environmental factors affect the health of lung tissues?
Lung tissues are considered very delicate and any foreign substances from the outside environment affects can affect the health state of lung tissues. Furthermore, inhaling smoke and other toxins narrows air passages hence causing chronic inflation in lungs and eventually destroying the lung tissues.
What is Cystic Fibrosis and what specific tissues in the lungs does it affect?
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder that is characterized by an abnormality in the glands which can secrete mucus and sweat. Cystic fibrosis affects the bronchial tissues of the lungs. It causes inflammation of the tissues hence resulting in breathing difficulties.
What is Emphysema and what specific tissues in the lungs does it affect?
Emphysema is a disorder resulting from the loss of the elasticity of lung tissues and destruction of lung tissues that support alveoli. It destroys the capillaries that feed alveoli. Emphysema collapses the airways during inhalation hence leading to the obstructive form of lung disorders. Emphysema results from long years of smoking. It negatively affects the lungs through the destruction of the alveoli tissues hence causing the inflammation of the alveoli. In this case, the alveoli lose its elasticity.
Exercise 3: The Conducting and Respiratory Zones
What are the structural adaptations of the nasal cavity that allow it to carry out its functions?
The nasal cavity is the external opening of the respiratory system. The nasal cavity is made of bones, cartilage and muscle. This is to support and protect the anterior section of the nasal cavity. The nasal cavity is also a hollow space inside the nose and it is lined with mucus membrane and hairs. The function of the mucus and hair is to moisturize, warm and filter the air that enters the body before reaching the lungs. The mucus and hair lining helps the nasal cavity to trap dust, pollen, mold and environmental contaminants (Whittemore, 2009).
What are the structural adaptations of the larynx that allow it to carry out its functions?
The larynx is made up of a cartilage that is bound by the muscles and the ligaments; these include thyroid and cricoid cartilages and the hyoid bone. All these move the muscles up and down during breathing. There are also vocal codes that are muscular and covered with mucous membrane. This will help the respiratory tract from any foreign substances.
What are the structural adaptations of the trachea that allow it to carry out its functions?
The trachea or the windpipe is that tube which extends from larynx to Bronchi; it carries air into the lungs. The trachea is lined with cilia to push articles out. It also has cartilage rings that reinforces and protects the trachea from collapsing during breathing.
What are the structural adaptations of the alveolus that allow it to carry out its functions?
The alveoli are the main tissue where gaseous exchange takes place. It is made up of extracellular matrix and epithelial layer that is surrounded by the capillaries. There are some pores on the alveoli walls for efficient gas exchange. To effectively perform its functions, the alveoli is made up of type one cells forming the alveoli wall and the type 2 cells secreting surfactants in order to lower the water surface tension. The lungs is made up of approximately 300 million alveoli, all wrapped in fine capillary mesh (Kraemer, Fleck, & Deschenes, 2012).
Compare the function of the conducting and respiratory zones.
The conducting zone is made up of the nose, mouth, trachea, larynx, pharynx and the bronchi. The respiratory zone is made up of the alveoli and the respiratory bronchioles. The conducting zone is responsible for warming incoming air and removing foreign substances before entering respiratory zone. The respiratory zone uploads oxygen into erythrocytes from the alveoli and transporting it all over the body. The erythrocytes that have transported oxygen will download carbon dioxide that expelled from the body through the conducting zones.
Exercise 4: Identifying Respiratory Structures on the Fetal Pig
The lobes of the lungs of a pig are cardiac, apical, diaphragmatic and intermediate. Intermediate is the smallest lobe and it is located below the heart’s apex. The right lung is very big and houses all lobes while the left lung is very small and misses the smallest lobe, intermediate.
How many pairs of ribs does your pig have? How many do humans have?
Pigs have seven pairs of true ribs, three pairs of false ribs and two pairs of floating ribs. A human has two sets of twelve pairs of ribs (Both floating and false ribs) each hence twenty four in total.
Why do the pig’s trachea and bronchi contain cartilage rings?
The cartilage rings helps the trachea and the bronchi to open during breathing. It props open the airways for air to flow easily. Cartilage rings also prevents the cartilage from collapsing and when it tries to collapse, it brings it to its original form.
Describe the structure of the pig’s larynx.
Pig’s larynx has a vocal box that prevents food from going into the trachea and to enhance the passage of air.
What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs; it is a form of lung inflammation that is caused by viral or bacterial infection. The air sacs are filled with pus hence making it solid. It can affect both or one of the lungs. It makes the alveoli inflamed and filled with pus hence making it hard to breathe. It depends on the cause of inflammation or the organism that has caused it.
Describe the texture and arrangement of the pig’s lungs.
The texture of the lungs of a pig is soft and spongy like. They are honeycombed using epithelium cells. They have large surface area as compared to the outer surface.
Describe the structural differences you observed between the fetal pig lungs and those of the dissected human lungs online.
Fetal pigs have four lobes in the right lung and three in the left lung; humans on the other hand have three in the right and two in the left.
Conclusion
Explain how allergies, the common cold or influenza change the structures of the respiratory system and cause a decrease in gas exchange.
These are the respiratory tract infections that are caused by virus or bacteria. The disorders damage the walls of the alveoli hence causing them to lose shape and be floppy. The damage results in few but larger alveoli; this makes it difficult to exchange gas between the blood and air entering the lungs making gaseous exchange very difficult.
Part B: The Essay
Explain why athletes prefer to train in high-altitude locations.
Athletes train in high altitudes because at high altitude the air is thinner hence there is few oxygen molecules per volume of air. Breathing in high altitude delivers minimum of what is required by working muscles. Training in high altitudes enables the bodies of athletes to produce more red blood cells, more hemoglobin and increased oxygen intake in lungs. Oxygen intake in high altitude is low and when athletes train in high altitudes, they experience shortness of breath and muscle burn due to high acidity levels. Under these circumstances, the athlete can be able to release oxygen to the muscles and eliminate waste products hence improved performance (Kraemer, Fleck, & Deschenes, 2012).
Explain what effect high-altitude training has on respiration.
There is less accessibility to oxygen in high altitudes and hence requires people visiting high altitudes to learn how to breath it efficiently. Lack of oxygen often results in disorders like loss of consciousness and pulmonary edema.
Explain the effect of exercise on the amount of carbon dioxide released by the blood.
During exercise, the muscles require a lot of energy; the energy production in the muscles often results in enhanced exchange of gases in the lungs because as more oxygen is inhaled, carbon dioxide is exhaled. During exercise, the body requires a lot of energy; this implies that the body tissues take a lot of energy. Consuming a lot of energy means a lot of carbon dioxide due to elevation of metabolic rate (Kraemer, Fleck, & Deschenes, 2012).
Works Cited
Kraemer, W. J., Fleck, S. J., & Deschenes, M. R. (2012). Exercise physiology: Integrated from theory to practical applications. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health.
Whittemore, S. (2009). The respiratory system. New York: Chelsea House.
