Respiratory System Anatomy Flashcards

The right primary bronchus differs from the left primarily in that it is:

Answer: Wider and more vertical

The right primary bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the left, which is why aspirated foreign bodies more commonly lodge in the right lung.

Alveolar type II pneumocytes primarily function to:

Answer: Produce pulmonary surfactant

Type II pneumocytes produce pulmonary surfactant, which reduces alveolar surface tension and prevents alveolar collapse (atelectasis) during expiration.

The pleural cavity is located between which two layers?

Answer: The visceral and parietal pleurae

The pleural cavity is the potential space between the visceral pleura covering the lung and the parietal pleura lining the thoracic wall, containing a thin film of lubricating fluid.

Which of the following correctly sequences the path of inhaled air from the nose to the alveoli?

Answer: Nasal cavity → pharynx → larynx → trachea → bronchi → alveoli

Air flows: nasal cavity → pharynx → larynx → trachea → primary bronchi → secondary bronchi → bronchioles → alveoli.

The conducting zone of the respiratory system ends at which structure?

Answer: Terminal bronchioles

The conducting zone conducts air but does not participate in gas exchange; it ends at the terminal bronchioles, beyond which begins the respiratory zone.

Which nerve provides the primary motor innervation to the diaphragm?

Answer: Phrenic nerve (C3, C4, C5)

The phrenic nerve, arising from cervical nerve roots C3, C4, and C5, provides the primary motor innervation to the diaphragm — summarized by the mnemonic 'C3, 4, 5 keeps the diaphragm alive.'

The costodiaphragmatic recess is clinically significant because:

Answer: It is the lowest point of the pleural cavity where fluid accumulates

The costodiaphragmatic recess is the lowest part of the pleural cavity, lying between the costal and diaphragmatic pleurae, where pleural effusions pool due to gravity.