Human A&PBIO 304 · American River College ← Week 07 pre-work

BIO 304 · Week 07 · Interactive Workbook

Respiratory Anatomy & Mechanics

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Part 1 of 4 · Recall

Fill in the blanks

Type the term that completes each statement, using the word bank. Pull it from memory first.

Word bank

Parietal pleuraSurfactantLarynxAlveolar ductsTranspulmonary pressureLobar (secondary) bronchiInspiratory reserve volume (IRV)Forced expirationNose & nasal cavityDiaphragm relaxesThoracic volume increasesAtmospheric (Patm)Vital capacity (VC)Right lungTerminal bronchioles

  1. warms, humidifies, filters; conchae increase surface area
  2. voice box; epiglottis covers airway during swallowing
  3. 3 right, 2 left
  4. last conducting zone branch
  5. lined with alveoli
  6. 3 lobes (sup, mid, inf)
  7. lines thoracic wall and diaphragm
  8. ~760 mmHg at sea level
  9. Palv minus Pip; keeps lung inflated
  10. pressure inside drops below atmospheric
  11. rises back to dome
  12. internal intercostals + abdominal muscles add active force
  13. lipoprotein from type II alveolar cells; lowers surface tension; prevents alveolar collapse
  14. extra above TV with max inspiration
  15. TV + IRV + ERV; max usable

Define it: high-yield vocabulary

Write a clear definition in your own words for each term.

  1. Pharynx
  2. Larynx
  3. Trachea
  4. Bronchi
  5. Bronchioles
  6. Alveoli
  7. Respiratory membrane
  8. Pleura
  9. Intrapleural pressure
  10. Surfactant
  11. Lung compliance
  12. Tidal volume
  13. Vital capacity
  14. Residual volume

Part 2 of 4 · Anatomy lab

Draw and label

Box A. Respiratory tract from nose to alveoli

Directions

  1. Draw a head and chest in front view.
  2. Label, in order from top to bottom: nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, primary bronchi (right and left), secondary bronchi, tertiary bronchi, bronchioles, terminal bronchioles, respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, alveoli.
  3. At the bottom, draw a cluster of grape-like alveoli wrapped in capillaries.
  4. Note: conducting zone = nose through terminal bronchioles (no gas exchange, just airflow). Respiratory zone = respiratory bronchioles through alveoli (gas exchange happens here).
  5. Add the epiglottis at the top of the larynx (closes during swallowing).
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Box B. Inspiration vs expiration

Directions

  1. Draw two side views of the thorax side by side.
  2. LEFT silhouette: inspiration. Diaphragm contracts and flattens (moves DOWN). External intercostals contract, lifting the rib cage UP and OUT. Thoracic volume INCREASES, pressure DROPS, air flows IN.
  3. RIGHT silhouette: expiration (quiet). Diaphragm relaxes and domes upward. Rib cage drops. Thoracic volume DECREASES, pressure RISES, air flows OUT.
  4. Label diaphragm position, external intercostals, ribs, lung volume change, airflow direction.
  5. Below the silhouettes, write Boyle's Law: at constant temperature, pressure and volume are inversely related. Note that inspiration is an ACTIVE process (muscle contraction); quiet expiration is PASSIVE (elastic recoil).
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Structures to label

Label each on your drawing.

  1. Nasal cavity
  2. Pharynx
  3. Larynx
  4. Epiglottis
  5. Trachea
  6. Primary bronchus
  7. Bronchioles
  8. Terminal bronchiole
  9. Respiratory bronchiole
  10. Alveolar duct
  11. Alveolus
  12. Conducting zone
  13. Respiratory zone
  14. Diaphragm
  15. External intercostal muscles
  16. Visceral pleura
  17. Parietal pleura
  18. Pleural cavity

Part 3 of 4 · Physiology lab

Reason it through

A. Lung volumes and capacities

1. Tidal volume (TV): the volume of air moved in a single normal quiet breath. Typical value?
2. Inspiratory reserve volume (IRV): the extra air you can breathe IN above a normal inspiration.
3. Expiratory reserve volume (ERV): the extra air you can breathe OUT below a normal expiration.
4. Residual volume (RV): the air remaining in the lungs after maximum expiration. Why is some always left?
5. Vital capacity (VC = TV + IRV + ERV): the largest volume you can move from a maximum inspiration to a maximum expiration.
6. Total lung capacity (TLC = VC + RV): everything the lungs can hold.

B. Synthesis

1. A patient has a pneumothorax (air enters the pleural cavity, breaking the seal between visceral and parietal pleura). Predict what happens to the affected lung and explain mechanistically why it collapses.
2. Compare obstructive (e.g., COPD, asthma) vs restrictive (e.g., pulmonary fibrosis) lung disease. Predict how each affects lung volumes (TV, IRV, FEV1, TLC) and explain the mechanical reason behind each pattern.
3. Surfactant is a lipid-protein mixture in the alveoli that reduces surface tension. Premature infants often lack adequate surfactant (respiratory distress syndrome). Predict the consequence for alveolar inflation and explain why this is life-threatening.

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