Anatomy Exam Respiratory System Anatomy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The right primary bronchus differs from the left primarily in that it is:
- Narrower and more horizontal
- Wider and more vertical (Correct answer)
- Longer and more oblique
- Shorter and more horizontal
Correct 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.
Question 2: Alveolar type II pneumocytes primarily function to:
- Facilitate gas exchange across the alveolar wall
- Produce pulmonary surfactant (Correct answer)
- Phagocytize inhaled foreign particles
- Secrete mucus into the airway
Correct answer: Produce pulmonary surfactant
Type II pneumocytes produce pulmonary surfactant, which reduces alveolar surface tension and prevents alveolar collapse (atelectasis) during expiration.
Question 3: The pleural cavity is located between which two layers?
- The two lungs in the mediastinum
- The visceral and parietal pleurae (Correct answer)
- The lung parenchyma and the bronchi
- The ribs and the intercostal muscles
Correct 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.
Question 4: Which of the following correctly sequences the path of inhaled air from the nose to the alveoli?
- Nasal cavity → trachea → larynx → bronchi → alveoli
- Nasal cavity → pharynx → larynx → trachea → bronchi → alveoli (Correct answer)
- Nasal cavity → larynx → pharynx → trachea → bronchi → alveoli
- Nasal cavity → trachea → pharynx → larynx → bronchi → alveoli
Correct answer: Nasal cavity → pharynx → larynx → trachea → bronchi → alveoli
Air flows: nasal cavity → pharynx → larynx → trachea → primary bronchi → secondary bronchi → bronchioles → alveoli.
Question 5: The conducting zone of the respiratory system ends at which structure?
- Secondary (lobar) bronchi
- Tertiary (segmental) bronchi
- Terminal bronchioles (Correct answer)
- Respiratory bronchioles
Correct 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.
Question 6: Which nerve provides the primary motor innervation to the diaphragm?
- Vagus nerve (CN X)
- Phrenic nerve (C3, C4, C5) (Correct answer)
- Intercostal nerves (T1–T6)
- Recurrent laryngeal nerve
Correct 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.'
Question 7: The costodiaphragmatic recess is clinically significant because:
- It is where the aorta passes through the diaphragm
- It is the lowest point of the pleural cavity where fluid accumulates (Correct answer)
- It marks the boundary between the right and left pleural sacs
- It is the site of the cardiac notch
Correct 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.
Anatomy Exam Respiratory System Anatomy 2
The right primary bronchus differs from the left primarily in that it is: