Respiratory System

Dr. Dharmendra Mishra

Professor
Respiratory System:
 The organs involved in breathing.
 Include the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and
lungs.
Functionally, It is
divided into a conducting
zone and a respiratory
zone.
The conducting zone
provide a route for
incoming and outgoing
air.
Anatomically, Respiratory Tract is divided into two.
 Upper Respiratory Tracts- Nose, Pharynx and Larynx.
 Lower Respiratory Tract- Trachea, Bronchi,
Bronchioles, Alveolar duct and Alveoli.
Pharynx:
The pharynx, also known as the throat, is a muscular funnel that
extends from the posterior end of the nasal cavity to the superior end
of the oesophagus and larynx.
The pharynx is divided into 3 regions: the nasopharynx, oropharynx,
and laryngopharynx.
 The nasopharynx is the superior region of the
pharynx found in the posterior of the nasal cavity.
the oropharynx, located in the posterior of the oral
cavity. Air inhaled through the oral cavity enters
the pharynx at the oropharynx. The inhaled air then
descends into the laryngopharynx, where it is
diverted into the opening of the larynx by the
epiglottis.
 The epiglottis is a flap of elastic cartilage that acts
as a switch between the trachea and the
oesophagus. During the process of swallowing, the
epiglottis moves to cover the trachea to ensure that
food enters the oesophagus and to prevent choking.
Nasopharynx: Part of pharynx where the nasal cavity
opens through posterior nasal conchae. Nasopharynx has
a roof, a floor, a posterior and two lateral walls as its
boundaries.
Roof and Posterior wall is formed by mucosa over
sphenoid and basilar part of occipital bone. A lymphoid
mass, the adenoid, lies in the mucosa of the upper part of
the roof and posterior wall in the midline. The lateral walls
of the nasopharynx have opening of auditory or
Eustachian tube, the inferior nasal concha, tubal
elevation, the tubal tonsil and the pharyngeal recess. The
floor of the nasopharynx is formed by the upper surface
of the soft palate.
Oropharynx: Middle part of pharynx where oral cavity
opens. Starts from the level of soft palate and ends at the
epiglottis. It has a posterior wall and two lateral walls.
Posterior wall is formed by mucosa lining of pharyngeal
muscles. In the lateral wall the palatopharyngeal folds are
present in which the palatine tonsils are situated.
Nasopharynx: Lower part of pharynx where larynx starts
extends from upper border of epiglottis to inferior border
of cricoid cartilage. Its anterior wall is formed by posterior
of arytenoid and cricoid cartilage. The mucosal lining over
pharyngeal muscles form the posterior and both lateral
walls.
 Muscles of Pharynx: There are 6 muscles in pharynx arranged in
circular and longitudinal way as 3 circular (constrictor) and 3
longitudinal.

Constrictor Muscles 1. Superior constrictor

(Constriction) 2. Middle constrictor
3. Inferior constrictor
Longitudinal Muscles 1. Stylopharyngeus
(Elevation) 2. Palatopharyngeus
3. Salpingopharyngeus
Blood Supply: 1. Ascending pharyngeal branch of the
external carotid artery.
2. Ascending palatine and tonsillar branch of facial artery.
3. Dorsal lingual branch of lingual artery.
4. Greater palatine, pharyngeal and pterygoid branches of
maxillary artery.
Nerve supply: By pharyngeal branches of pterygopalatine
ganglion, and IX and X cranial nerve.
Clinical Anatomy: A. Difficulty in swallowing called
Dysphagia may be due to problem in pharyngeal muscles.
B. Tonsillitis – inflammation of tonsils may cause referred
pain in the ear due to common nerve supply i.e.
glossopharyngeal nerve.
C. Infection of throat may pass to middle ear through
Eustachian tube and more often in common cold. More
common in children due to shorter Eustachian tube.
The larynx, also known as the voice box, is a short section
of the airway that connects the laryngopharynx and the
trachea. The larynx is located in the anterior portion of the
neck, just inferior to the hyoid bone and superior to the
trachea.

The epiglottis is one of

the cartilage pieces of
the larynx and serves
as the cover of the
larynx during
swallowing.
Three large cartilage pieces—the thyroid cartilage
(anterior), epiglottis (superior), and cricoid cartilage
(inferior)—form the major structure of the larynx.

The larynx
contains special
structures known
as vocal folds,
which allow the
body to produce
the sounds of
speech and
singing.
Trachea
The trachea (windpipe) extends from the larynx
toward the lungs.

The trachea is formed by 16

to 20 stacked, C-shaped
pieces of hyaline cartilage
that are connected by dense
connective tissue.
The trachealis muscle and elastic connective tissue together
form the fibroelastic membrane, a flexible membrane that
closes the posterior surface of the trachea, connecting the C-
shaped cartilages.

the rings of cartilage provide

structural support and prevent the
trachea from collapsing. The
trachea is lined with
pseudostratified ciliated columnar
epithelium.
Bronchial Tree:
 The trachea branches into the right and left primary
bronchi at the carina.
 The carina is a raised structure that contains
specialized nervous tissue that induces violent
coughing if a foreign body, such as food, is present.
Rings of cartilage, similar to those of the trachea,
support the structure of the bronchi and prevent
their collapse. The primary bronchi enter the lungs
at the hilum.
 The bronchi continue to branch into bronchial a
tree. A bronchial tree (or respiratory tree) is the
collective term used for these multiple-branched
bronchi.
 The trachea is the segment that connects the upper
airways to the bronchi.
 The trachea extends distally
10-12 cm and divides into the
right and left mainstem
bronchi (primary) at the level
of the T5 vertebra.
 The right mainstem bronchus
originates higher than the left
mainstem bronchus; it is also
shorter, wider, and more
vertical. It measures about 2.5
cm and appears as a direct
continuation of the trachea.
 The left main stem bronchus is about 5 cm in length.
 Mainstem bronchi divide into the lobar bronchi
(secondary) and subsequently into the segmental
(tertiary) bronchi.

 A bronchopulmonary
segment is a portion of
lung that is supplied by
a segmental bronchus
and its adjacent blood
vessels.
 The right main stem bronchus divides into the right upper
lobe bronchus and the bronchus intermedius (BI). The upper
lobe bronchus then divides into 3 segments: apical (RB1),
posterior (RB2), and anterior (RB3).
 The bronchus intermedius
divides into the right middle
lobe and right lower lobe
bronchi. The right middle lobe
bronchus has two segments:
lateral (RB4) and middle
(RB5). The right lower lobe
bronchus has 5 segments:
superior (RB6), medial basal
(RB7), anterior basal (RB8),
lateral basal (RB9), and
posterior basal (RB10)
 The left main stem bronchus divides into the left upper
lobe and lower lobe bronchi. The left upper lobe
bronchus subsequently divides into the left upper
division bronchus and the lingular division.
 The left upper division
bronchus gives rise to 3
segments: apical (LB1),
posterior (LB2), and
anterior (LB3). The apical
and posterior segments
are usually fused in a
single apicoposterior
(LB1/2) segment.
 The lingular bronchus has 2 segments: superior lingular
(LB4) and inferior lingular (LB5). The left lower lobe
bronchus branches into the superior (LB6), anteromedial
basal (LB7/8), lateral basal (LB9), and posterior basal
(LB10) segments.
 The surface of the
airways that does not
contribute to gas
exchange is referred to as
“dead space.”
 As bronchi divide
into smaller
airways and gives
rise to terminal
bronchioles. The
17th to 19th
generations of
bronchioles
constitute the
transitional zone.

 These bronchioles enter pyramid-shaped pulmonary

lobules separated from one another by a thin septum,
with the apex directed toward the hilum, comprising 5-7
terminal bronchioles.
 The last 2-3
generations of
bronchioles have
some alveoli in
their walls and
make up the
respiratory zone.

 The area of the lung that is distal to a terminal bronchiole

is termed the acinus.
The final division
is called the
respiratory
bronchiole, which
further branches
into multiple
alveolar ducts.
Alveoli, the
functional units of
the respiratory
system, start
appearing at the
level of the
respiratory
bronchioles.
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