The respiratory system

Author(s):  
Martin E. Atkinson

Oxygen derived from the air is essential for providing energy to drive the metabolic processes in cells and tissues. Air is drawn into and expelled from the body through the respiratory system by the process of ventilation. Within the respiratory system, gaseous exchange takes place between air and blood in the lungs. This is respiration in its true sense; oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves it. The activities of the respiratory system must be regulated to ensure adequate oxygen supplies and clearance of carbon dioxide to meet the functional demands of the body. The respiratory and cardiovascular systems work in concert to maintain homeostasis and share several control mechanisms. The respiratory system also provides the driving force for production of speech and modifying sounds during speech. Anatomically, the respiratory system consists of a series of air passages that terminate in the lungs where gaseous exchange takes place across the thin walls of individual alveoli within them. The air passages are supported by bone or cartilage to prevent them from collapsing when air pressure is reduced. A schematic diagram of the respiratory tract is shown in Figure 5.1. In succession, the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, and bronchial tree constitute the conducting portion of air passages and the lung alveoli form the respiratory portion where gaseous exchange takes place. Clinically, the air passages as far as the larynx are known as the upper respiratory tract (URT) and the passages below the larynx and the lungs are the lower respiratory tract (LRT). Air is drawn into the body through the nose. The nose is more than a simple air passage; it has important functions in cleaning, warming, and moistening air. Air is filtered by hairs at the entrance to the nose, warmed by heat exchange with the abundant blood vessels in the mucosa of the nasal cavities, and humidified by fluid evaporating from mucus secreted by the lining mucosa. Figure 5.2A shows how bone in the lateral walls of the nasal cavities is folded to increase the surface area available and thus increase their efficiency of heating and humidification. The mucosa lining the respiratory portion has an outer covering known as respiratory epithelium although its full description, pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells, is more informative.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Yerxa ◽  
Cory J Vatsaas ◽  
Suresh Agarwal

Respiratory system uses an elegant physiologic mechanism to support the metabolic demands of the body through oxygenation and ventilation. Oxygen must be absorbed and delivered to the tissues to sustain oxidative metabolism, whereas carbon dioxide must be expelled in a delicate balance to maintain an acid-base equilibrium. Complete understanding of oxygen content, delivery, consumption, and carbon dioxide elimination is essential as a provider caring for the critically ill patient. This review contains 13 figures and 25 references. Key Words: oxygenation, respiratory system, ventilation, gas exchange, haemoglobin, respiratory physiology, respiratory anatomy, oxidative metabolism, dead space.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Yerxa ◽  
Cory J Vatsaas ◽  
Suresh Agarwal

Respiratory system uses an elegant physiologic mechanism to support the metabolic demands of the body through oxygenation and ventilation. Oxygen must be absorbed and delivered to the tissues to sustain oxidative metabolism, whereas carbon dioxide must be expelled in a delicate balance to maintain an acid-base equilibrium. Complete understanding of oxygen content, delivery, consumption, and carbon dioxide elimination is essential as a provider caring for the critically ill patient. This review contains 13 figures and 25 references. Key Words: oxygenation, respiratory system, ventilation, gas exchange, haemoglobin, respiratory physiology, respiratory anatomy, oxidative metabolism, dead space.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 967-968
Author(s):  
I. Tsimkhes

According to Dzialoszunsky (Zentr. F. Chir., 1926, No. 23), carbon dioxide during inhalation causes strong irritation of the respiratory center and deep and frequent breathing. Due to a noticeable increase in respiratory activity, the inhaled drug is released from the body faster, the lungs are ventilated down to the smallest bronchi, and a secret is released that fills the respiratory tract.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Yerxa ◽  
Cory J Vatsaas ◽  
Suresh Agarwal

Respiratory system uses an elegant physiologic mechanism to support the metabolic demands of the body through oxygenation and ventilation. Oxygen must be absorbed and delivered to the tissues to sustain oxidative metabolism, whereas carbon dioxide must be expelled in a delicate balance to maintain an acid-base equilibrium. Complete understanding of oxygen content, delivery, consumption, and carbon dioxide elimination is essential as a provider caring for the critically ill patient. This review contains 13 figures and 25 references. Key Words: oxygenation, respiratory system, ventilation, gas exchange, haemoglobin, respiratory physiology, respiratory anatomy, oxidative metabolism, dead space.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Yerxa ◽  
Cory J Vatsaas ◽  
Suresh Agarwal

Respiratory system uses an elegant physiologic mechanism to support the metabolic demands of the body through oxygenation and ventilation. Oxygen must be absorbed and delivered to the tissues to sustain oxidative metabolism, whereas carbon dioxide must be expelled in a delicate balance to maintain an acid-base equilibrium. Complete understanding of oxygen content, delivery, consumption, and carbon dioxide elimination is essential as a provider caring for the critically ill patient. This review contains 13 figures and 25 references. Key Words: oxygenation, respiratory system, ventilation, gas exchange, haemoglobin, respiratory physiology, respiratory anatomy, oxidative metabolism, dead space.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zerlina Wong ◽  
Michael Nurok

The pulmonary system is crucial for survival. Managing respiratory mechanics and airway requires a sophisticated understanding of pulmonary physiology. This chapter discusses the ways in which oxygen is brought into the body and carbon dioxide is expelled and reviews the principles of respiratory mechanics, including lung compliance, airway resistance, chemoreceptor and mechanoreceptor control of ventilation, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, distribution of perfusion, and other properties that affect oxygen and carbon dioxide transport. The respiratory system exists in a state of equilibrium, where the inward elastic recoil of the lungs is balanced with the outward elastic recoil of the chest wall. Airway resistance and compliance are important factors that affect ventilation and air movement. This chapter reviews the role that chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors have on controlling ventilation, as well as the effects that hypercarbia and hypoxemia have on pulmonary and cerebral circulation, and the Bohr and Haldane effects that elucidate understanding of the hemoglobin dissociation curve. These principles all inform the care of patients who require mechanical ventilation, as we endeavor to support them through their surgery or intensive care stay. This review contains 7 figures and 38 references. Key Words: apneic oxygenation, Bohr effect, chemoreceptors, compliance, Haldane effect, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, resistance, respiratory mechanics, ventilation-perfusion


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 716-722
Author(s):  
Sneha Dhakite ◽  
Sadhana Misar Wajpeyi

The “Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19)” is caused by “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)”, a newly discovered member of the Coronaviridae family of viruses which is a highly communicable. There is no effective medical treatment till date for Coronavirus disease hence prevention is the best way to keep disease away. Rasayana proved to be highly efficacious and cost effective for the Prevention and Control of viral infections when vaccines and standard therapies are lacking. Rasayana Chikitsa is one of the eight branches of Ashtanga Ayurveda which helps to maintain healthy life style. Rasayana improves immunity and performs many vital functions of human body. Vyadhikshamatva that is immune mechanism of the body is involved in Prevention of the occurrence of a new disease and it also decreases the virulence and progression of an existing disease. In COVID-19 the Respiratory system mainly get affected which is evident from its symptoms like cold, cough and breathlessness. Here the drugs help in enhancing immune system and strengthening functions of Respiratory system can be useful. For this purpose, the Rasayana like Chyavanprasha, Agastya Haritaki, Pippali Rasayana, Guduchi, Yashtimadhu, Haridra, Ashwagandha, Tulsi are used. Rasayana working on Respiratory system are best for Prevention of Coronavirus and boosting immune system. Rasayana Chikitsa can be effective in the Prevention as well as reducing symptoms of COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuyun Li ◽  
Dongming Wang ◽  
Lili Zhi ◽  
Yunmei Zhu ◽  
Lan Qiao ◽  
...  

AbstractTo describle how respiratory tract infections (RTIs) that occurred in children with allergic asthma (AA) on allergen immunotherapy (AIT) during an influenza season. Data including clinical symptoms and treatment history of children (those with AA on AIT and their siblings under 14 years old), who suffered from RTIs during an influenza season (Dec 1st, 2019–Dec 31st, 2019), were collected (by face to face interview and medical records) and analyzed. Children on AIT were divided into 2 groups: stage 1 (dose increasing stage) and stage 2 (dose maintenance stage). Their siblings were enrolled as control. During the study period, 49 children with AA on AIT (33 patients in stage 1 and 16 patients in stage 2) as well as 49 children without AA ( their siblings ) were included. There were no significant differences in occurrences of RTIs among the three groups (p > 0.05). Compared with children in the other two groups, patients with RTIs in stage 2 had less duration of coughing and needed less medicine. Children on AIT with maintenance doses had fewer symptoms and recovered quickly when they were attacked by RTIs, which suggested that AIT with dose maintenance may enhance disease resistance of the body.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niina Haiminen ◽  
Filippo Utro ◽  
Ed Seabolt ◽  
Laxmi Parida

AbstractIn response to the ongoing global pandemic, characterizing the molecular-level host interactions of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 responsible for COVID-19 has been at the center of unprecedented scientific focus. However, when the virus enters the body it also interacts with the micro-organisms already inhabiting the host. Understanding the virus-host-microbiome interactions can yield additional insights into the biological processes perturbed by viral invasion. Alterations in the gut microbiome species and metabolites have been noted during respiratory viral infections, possibly impacting the lungs via gut-lung microbiome crosstalk. To better characterize microbial functions in the lower respiratory tract during COVID-19 infection, we carry out a functional analysis of previously published metatranscriptome sequencing data of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from eight COVID-19 cases, twenty-five community-acquired pneumonia patients, and twenty healthy controls. The functional profiles resulting from comparing the sequences against annotated microbial protein domains clearly separate the cohorts. By examining the associated metabolic pathways, distinguishing functional signatures in COVID-19 respiratory tract microbiomes are identified, including decreased potential for lipid metabolism and glycan biosynthesis and metabolism pathways, and increased potential for carbohydrate metabolism pathways. The results include overlap between previous studies on COVID-19 microbiomes, including decrease in the glycosaminoglycan degradation pathway and increase in carbohydrate metabolism. The results also suggest novel connections to consider, possibly specific to the lower respiratory tract microbiome, calling for further research on microbial functions and host-microbiome interactions during SARS-CoV-2 infection.


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