ANATOMY OF THE RESPIRATORY

SYSTEM
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

You should be able to:

1. List the organs that form the respiratory system
2. Describe the location, gross anatomy of the lungs,
trachea (wind pipe), bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
3. Describe respiratory muscles
4. Describe inspiration and expiration
5. Describe pulmonary circulation and gaseous exchange
6. Comments on the applied anatomy ( clinical correlates)
 COURSE OUTLINE
• Introduction
• Divisions of the RS
• Functions of the RS
• Organs of the RS
• Major Muscles of Respiration
• Mechanism of Breathing
• Control of Respiration
• Relationship between Pulmonary system and pulmonary
circulation
• Gaseous Exchange in the lungs
• Clinical Anatomy
WHY IS THE RESPIRATORY
SYSTEM SO IMPORTANT?
 INTRODUCTION

• The Respiratory system/

Pulmonary system consists of
all organs and tissues that
brings about the process of
“Respiration (breathing)”.

• Through breathing, the body

is supplied with oxygen and
Carbon dioxide is released
into the environment.
 DIVISIONS OF THE RS
Upper respiratory tract
• Nose
• Nasal cavities
• Paranasal sinuses
• Pharynx
• Part of the Larynx above vocal cords
Lower respiratory tract
• Part of the larynx below vocal cords
• Trachea
• Bronchi
• Bronchioles
• lungs
The Respiratory system can also be functionally divided
into:
• Conducting Part
• Nose
• Nasal Cavities
• Pharynx
• Larynx
• Trachea
• Bronchi
• Terminal bronchioles
• Respiratory Part
• Respiratory bronchioles
• Alveoli
 FUNCTIONS OF RS

• Gaseous exchange: At the respiratory membrane; Oxygen is

inhaled and carbon dioxide is exhaled.

• Air conditioning: conduction, filtration, humidification and

warming of inhaled air.

• Protection: Cough reflex, Sneeze reflex, Mucociliary

clearance, Alveolar macrophages

 ORGANS OF THE RS

Nose
• Air enters & leaves the respiratory system through the nose.
• It is made of bone, cartilage & covered with skin
• It has two holes ( nostrils) which contain hair to filter air (i.e.
prevent dust)
Nasal cavities
• Paired cavities located within the skull.
• The Lining (mucosal epithelium) is ciliated & has goblet cells to
produce mucous
• It warms & moistens the air; also functions in detecting smell
(olfaction)
 Paranasal sinuses
• They are air cavities in the
maxillae, frontal, sphenoid, and
ethmoid bones
• They are lined with ciliated
epithelium, and the mucus
produced drains into the nasal
cavities

Paranasal sinus Nasal cavity

(Frontal bone)

Paranasal sinus
(Sphenoid)

Paranasal sinus
(Maxilla)
 Pause for a moment and
then…

TRY BREATHING AND

SWALLOWING AT THE SAME TIME
Pharynx
• A muscular tube posterior to the
nasal and oral cavities, it is anterior
to the cervical vertebrae.
• It is divided into three parts-
nasopharynx, oropharynx &
laryngopharynx.
Larynx
• Also referred to as voice box.
• It is made up of cartilages connected
by ligaments; the cartilages prevent
its collapse & keep it open always
for air passage
• Vocal cords?
Trachea
• It starts where larynx ends (at the level of
C6 (6th cervical vertebra)
• It is about 10cm long
• At the level of the sternal angle, It
bifurcates into right & left
principal/major/primary bronchi
- Carina?
• Trachea consists of C- shaped rings of
hyaline cartilage
• keeps the lumen intact
• The lumen is lined with epithelium & cilia
to keep irritants / foreign material away
from the lungs.
Bronchi
Primary/Main Bronchi
• One to each lung- Right & left principal
bronchi
- right bronchus is wider & shorter;
branches from the trachea at a greater angle
(foreign bodies usually enter here)
Secondary Bronchi
• One to each lobe
- 3 in the right; 2 in the left
Tertiary Bronchi
• One to each bronchopulmonary segment
- 10 in the right lung; 8-10 in
the left lung
Bronchioles
• Segmental bronchi give rise to 20- 25 generations of branching
conducting bronchioles known as terminal bronchioles
• Each terminal bronchiole gives rise to several generations of respiratory
bronchioles
• Respiratory bronchioles end as thin-walled outpocketings/air sacs
(alveoli)
• Absence of cartilage in the walls of bronchioles
• Thin layer of smooth muscle in the wall
• Absence of mucous secreting goblet cells
• Contain Club cells (Clara cells)/ bronchiolar exocrine cells which produce
substance that is similar in composition to pulmonary surfactant
(lipoprotein that prevents walls of small airways from adhesion); detoxify
harmful substances inhaled.
 LUNGS
They are vital organs of respiration
Function: oxygenation of the blood
by bringing inspired air into close
relation with the venous blood in
the pulmonary capillaries
Position: There are two lungs (one
on each side of the thoracic cavity,
separated by mediastinum)
• It is light, soft & spongy in
healthy person (may be
shrunken, firm or hard, &
discolored in cadavers)
• It is conical in shape.
• Covered by serous pleurae
membranes
• Parietal pleura and
• Visceral pleura
• It has apex, base, three
surfaces (costal, mediastinal,
and diaphragmatic). three
borders (anterior, inferior, and
posterior) & hilum
• It has various impressions for
structures that pass on it
LEFT LUNG
• Has oblique fissure
• Two lobes:- superior &
inferior
• Has 8-10
bronchopulmonary
segments
• Has CARDIAC
NOTCH & LINGULA
RIGHT LUNG

• Has oblique &

horizontal fissures
• Three lobes:- superior ,
middle & inferior
• Has 10
bronchopulmonary
segments
 MAJOR MUSCLES OF
RESPIRATION

The muscles of respiration contribute to inspiration &

expiration.
The major muscles of respiration are:
1. Thoracic diaphragm (major muscle)
2. The intercostal ( external, internal & innermost) muscles
between the ribs
 THORACIC
DIAPHRAGM
INTERCOSTAL
MUSCLES
 MECHANISM OF BREATHING
INSPIRATION
• During Inspiration, the diaphragm & external intercostal
muscles contract.
- This brings about an increase in intrapleural pressure,
decrease in intra-alveolar pressure & an expansion of the
lungs.
- This also produces an increase in the diameters of the
thorax & intrathoracic volume
- Changes between internal & external pressures result in air
being alternately drawn into the lungs (inspiration).
• In deep and forced inspiration, additional muscles attached to
the chest wall are involved (e.g. scalenus anterior,
sternocleidomastoid, serratus anterior, pectoralis major) to
increase further the capacity of the thorax
EXPIRATION
- The diaphragm relaxes & internal intercostal muscles contract.
- Intrathoracic volume decreases & intrathoracic pressure increases
- Elastic recoil of the lungs occur
- Air is forced out of the lungs
• In deep and forced expiration, the abdominal muscles such as
rectus abdominis contribute to expulsion of air from the lungs.
 CONTROL OF RESPIRATION

• The nervous system adjusts the

rate of respirations to satisfy
physiological demands.
• The respiratory centers in the
brain which direct the contraction
and relaxation of respiratory
muscles include:
• Pons
• Medulla oblongata
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PULMONARY
SYSTEM AND PULMONARY CIRCULATION
 GAS EXCHANGE WITHIN
THE LUNGS

• Within the lungs, blood is

brought into close contact
with atmospheric air.
• Oxygen within the
atmospheric air diffuses into
the blood WHILE Carbon
dioxide in the blood diffuses
into the atmospheric air.
• The oxygenated blood is
returned to the heart through
the pulmonary veins and the
atmospheric air is exhaled.
CLINICAL ANATOMY
• Pleurisy (pleuritis): inflammation of the pleura
• Pneumothorax: accumulation of air in the pleural cavity
• Haemothorax: accumulation of blood in the pleural cavity
• Hydrothorax: accumulation of pathological fluid in the pleural
cavity
• Pyothorax: accumulation of pus in the pleural cavity
• Bronchoscopy: a test for examining airways using an
instrument called bronchoscope through nose
• Heimlich maneuver: an enhanced method of removing foreign
objects from the airways. Objects can enter the trachea
through the mouth or nose and cause choking; 60% of foreign
bodies get into right principal bronchus because of its vertical
orientation compared to the left
 OBSTRUCTIVE AND
RESTRICTIVE LUNG DISEASES

Obstructive Lung Diseases Restrictive Lung Diseases

- Diseases that obstruct inflow - Diseases that restrict the
and outflow of air in the lungs. lungs from fully expanding.
• Asthma • Pulmonary fibrosis
• Chronic Obstructive • Pneumonia
Pulmonary Diseases • Atelectasis
(COPD) such as
Emphysema
• Cystic fibrosis
 CARDIO-PULMONARY RESUSCITATION
(CPR)
• Emergency life-saving procedure
performed on an individual with
cardiac arrest.
• It involves repetitive compressions of
the chest followed by mouth-to-
mouth breathing.
• Compressions-to-breaths ratio of 30:2
respectively.
• CPR is performed by trained medical
personnel to keep the blood flowing to
the brain While the individual is being
carried to the hospital for proper
Medical care.