This chapter covered the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system, including the organs and their functions. It discussed medical terminology related to the respiratory system and provided examples of pathological terms, diagnostic tests, and abbreviations. The objectives were to describe the respiratory system and analyze medical word parts and terms as well as identify abbreviations pertaining to respiration.

1. Chapter 11:
Respiratory System
Medical
Terminology- Level 1
Medical Office Assistant Diploma
program
Surrey College, BC, Canada
Lecture PowerPoint prepared by Nancy Joseph as part of Digital
Project Submission (PIDP 3240, VCC, BC, CANADA) 1

2. Lesson Objectives
 On completion of Chapter 11, the students
will be able to:
 describe the respiratory system, naming the organs
and stating their functions.
 analyze and build medical words using word parts.
 spell and pronounce medical words described in
Chapter 11.
 describe the selected pathological terms and
diagnostic and laboratory tests related to the
respiratory system.
 identify and define abbreviations pertaining to the
respiratory system.
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3. Anatomy and Physiology
Overview
The respiratory system consists of: The
nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and
the alveoli in the lungs
Primary function of respiration is to furnish oxygen
(O2)for individual tissue cells to use and to take away their
gaseous waste product, carbon dioxide (CO2)
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4. Knowledge Probe
 Why we have runny noses when the
weather is cold?
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5. Knowledge Probe - Answer
 One of the function of the nose is to warm and
moisten the inhaled air as it travels to the lungs.
 During cold weather the inhaled dry air mixes
with the warm air, and the mucous membranes
inside the nose increases fluid production in
order to protect the sensitive lung tissue. So the
excess fluid in the nose tends to drip out,
creating a runny nose.
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6. The Nose
 The nostrils or anterior nares are the external entrances
to the nose.
 The nose has five functions:
 Serves as a passageway for air
 Warms and humidifies inhaled air
 The enclosed cilia and mucous membrane trap dust, pollen,
bacteria, and other foreign matter
 Contains olfactory receptors, which sort out odours
 Help to produce sounds and the quality of voice
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7. The Nasal cavity
 Septum - Partition in the nose
 Superior, middle, and inferior conchae
 Air passages that lead to the pharynx and are connected by
openings with the paranasal sinuses, the Eustachian tubes,
and the eyes
 Paranasal sinuses
 Frontal
 Maxillary
 Ethmoidal
 Sphenoidal
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8. The Pharynx
Also called the throat
 The functions of the pharynx are:
 Passageway for:
 air
 food
 Aids in sound production by changing shape
 It is divided into three portions:
 Nasopharynx
 Oropharynx
 Laryngopharynx
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9. The Larynx
 Also called the voice box
 Its function is the production of vocal sounds
 composed of nine cartilages bound together by muscles
and ligaments
 It contains the glottis (opening into the trachea)
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10. The Trachea
 Also called the windpipe
 A ‘C-shaped’ cartilaginous tube for passage of air
extending from the pharynx and larynx to the main
bronchi
 The trachea is composed of:
 Smooth muscle
 Mucous membrane – Lining that contains cilia, which
sweep foreign matter out of the passageway. (Note:
Smoking can destroy cilia)
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11. The Bronchi
 The trachea divides into the right bronchus and the left
bronchus
 The depression in each lung where the two bronchi
enters is called the hilum
 Each bronchus then subdivide into the bronchial tree
composed of smaller bronchi, bronchioles, and alveolar
ducts
 Bronchi functions as a passageway for air to and from
the lungs
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12. The Lungs
 Two in number; cone-shaped, spongy organs of
respiration lying on either side of the heart within the
pleural cavity of the thorax
 Each lung is covered by double-folded serous
membrane, the pleura (inner is visceral pleura and the
outer is parietal pleura)
 The main function of the lungs is to bring air into intimate
contact with blood so that O2 and CO2 can be exchanged
in the alveoli
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13. The Lungs cont’d…
 Pleural Cavity – A space between parietal and visceral
pleura; contains serous fluid that lubricates and prevents
friction
 The Diaphragm – The musculomembranous wall that
separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity
 Mediastinum – The central portion of the thoracic cavity,
between the lungs, which contains the heart and other
structures
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14. The Lungs cont’d...
 Lung base – Broad inferior surface of the lung which
rests on the diaphragm
 Lung apex – The pointed upper margin that lies above
the sternal end of the first rib
 Lobes – The divisions of the lungs
 Right lung – has three lobes
 Left lung – has two lobes
 Cardiac depression – Depression for normal placement
of the heart
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15. A flow chart to show the path of air in the
respiratory system
NOSE (Nares)
NASAL CAVITIES
PHARYNX
LARYNX
TRACHEA
BRONCHI
BRONCHIOLES
ALVEOLI
LUNG CAPILLARIES
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16. Respiration
Respiration consists of:
 External respiration = Process by which the lungs are
ventilated and exchange of air occurs between alveoli
(air sacs) in the lungs and the pulmonary capillaries
 Inspiration/Inhalation - Process of breathing in
 Expiration/Exhalation - Process of breathing out
 Internal respiration = Process involving an exchange of
air between the systemic (tissue) capillaries and the cells
of the body
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17. Respiratory Volume
The following terms are used by physiologist and
respiratory specialists to describe the volume of air
exchanged in breathing:
Tidal volume (TV), Supplemental air, Complemental
air, Residual volume, Minimal air, Vital capacity
(VC), Total lung capacity (TLC)
An instrument called spirometer is used to
measure the respiratory volume.
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18. Respiration
 The Vital Function of Respiration
 Respiration, along with temperature, pulse, and blood
pressure, is a vital sign that helps in determining an
individual’s state of health
 A deviation from normal of any one or all the vital
signs denotes a state of illness
 The medulla oblongata and the pons of the CNS
regulate and control respiration
 The rate, rhythm and depth of respiration are controlled by
nerve impulses arising from these areas of the brain
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19. Respiration
 Respiratory rates – The respiratory center located in the
medulla oblongata regulates the rate of respiration which
varies with age:
 Newborn 30 – 80/min
 1st year 20 – 40/min
 5th year 20 – 25/min
 15th year 15 – 20/min
 Adult 15 – 20/min
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20. Life Span Considerations:
The Child
 The lungs of the fetus take a definite shape at 12 weeks
of gestation
 The alveoli of the lungs are complete at 20 weeks of
gestation
 The alveoli begin to produce surfactant at 28 to 32
weeks of gestation
 The lack of surfactant in pre-term infants contributes to
respiratory distress syndrome (RDS)
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21. Life Span Considerations:
The Older Adult
 The respiratory system is vulnerable to injuries
 The mucous barriers breakdown, cilia decrease in
effectiveness, and the composition of the connective
tissue in the lungs changes
 Diaphragmatic breathing is predominant and it becomes
difficult to breathe lying down
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22. Life Span Considerations:
The Older Adult
 The respiratory system is vulnerable to injuries
 The mucous barriers breakdown, cilia decrease in
effectiveness, and the composition of the connective
tissue in the lungs changes
 Diaphragmatic breathing is predominant and it becomes
difficult to breathe lying down
 Vital capacity declines with age. The elastic recoil of the
lungs begins to decline and an increase in the stiffness
of the chest walls
 Voice may become gravelly and softer with a rise in
pitch, making communication more difficult, especially if
there is impaired hearing
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23. Pronunciation Exercise
 Use the pronunciation guide provided in
the medical vocabulary section (p. 300) in
Chapter 11, to spell and pronounce the
medical terms. Also learn meaning for the
listed word parts and the medical terms.
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24. Combining forms (provide meaning
and build medical term for each)
 alveol/o :
 bronch/o :
 lob/o :
 ox/o :
 phon/o :
 phren/o :
 rhin/o :
 spir/o :
 tel/o :
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25. Combining forms
 alveol/o = alveolus, air sacs - alveolar
 bronch/o = bronchus, bronchial tubes - bronchospasm
 lob/o = lobe of the lung - lobectomy
 ox/o = oxygen - hypoxia
 phon/o = voice - dysphonia
 phren/o = diaphragm - phrenic nerve
 rhin/o = nose - rhinorrhea
 spir/o = breathing - spirometer
 tel/o = complete - atelectasis (collapsed lung)
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26. Suffixes (provide meaning and build
medical term for each)
 -ema:
 -itis:
 -osis:
 -phasia:
 -pnea:
 -ptysis:
 -sphyxia:
 -us:
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27. Suffixes
 -ema: condition [empyema - collection of pus in the pleural cavity]
 -itis: inflammation [bronchitis - inflammation of the bronchi]
 -osis: condition (usually abnormal) [cyanosis - Abnormal condition
of the skin and mucous membrane caused by oxygen deficiency in
the blood]
 -phasia: speech [aphasia - lack of ability to speak]
 -pnea: breathing [dyspnea - difficulty in breathing]
 -ptysis: spitting [hemoptysis - spitting of blood from respiratory
tract, lungs]
 -sphyxia: pulse [asphyxia - lack of pulse (condition)]
 -us: pertaining to [alveolus - pertaining to small air sacs in the lungs]
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28. Pathological terms
 Apnea - A temporary cessation of breathing
 Asthma - Chronic inflammatory disorder characterized
by wheezing, dyspnea, and a feeling of constriction in
the chest caused by edema, bronchoconstriction, and
increased mucus production
 Cystic fibrosis (CF) - Inherited disorder of exocrine
glands resulting in thick, mucous secretions that do not
drain normally
 Epistaxis - Nosebleed
 Emphysema - Hyperinflation of air sacs with destruction
of alveolar walls, making it difficult to exhale air from the
lungs
 Pertussis - Whooping cough (bacterial infection of the
pharynx, larynx, and trachea)
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29. Pathological terms
 Pneumonia - An inflammation of the lung (or
lungs), caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi and chemical
irritants
 Pneumoconiosis - abnormal condition caused by dust
in the lungs e.g. asbestosis
 Stridor - Strained, high-pitched sound during inspiration
(due to obstruction of the larynx or trachea)
 Tachypnea - Fast breathing
 Tuberculosis (TB) - A contagious disease caused by
the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is carried
in droplets
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30. Diagnostic and Lab Tests
 Bronchoscopy - Process of viewing the
larynx, trachea, and bronchi with a flexible
bronchoscope.
 Culture, Sputum - Examination of the sputum to
determine the presence of microorganisms.
 Laryngoscopy - Visual examination of the larynx using
a laryngoscope
 Nasopharyngography - X-ray examination of the
nasopharynx
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31. Diagnostic and Lab Tests
 Pulmonary function test - Series of tests performed to
determine the diffusion of O2 and CO2 across the cell
membrane in the lungs. Tests are done on all phases of
respiration, with abnormal results indicating various
respiratory diseases and conditions.
 Rhinoscopy - Visual examination of the nasal passages
 Rhinoplasty - Surgical repair of the nose
 Thoracocentesis - Surgical puncture of the chest for
fluid removal
 Tracheostomy - Creation of a new opening into the
trachea
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32. Abbreviations
 Cystic fibrosis CF
 Shortness of breath SOB
 Sudden infant death syndrome SIDS
 Upper respiratory infection URI
 Chest x-ray CXR
 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD
 Respiratory distress syndrome RDS
 Human immunodeficiency virus HIV
 Pulmonary embolism PE
 Arterial blood gases ABGs
 Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome AIDS
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33. Abbreviations cont’d…
 Postnasal drip PND
 Severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS
 Ear, nose, throat (otorhinolaryngology) ENT
 Endotracheal ET
 Chronic obstructive lung disease COLD
 Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs
 Tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy T&A
 Vital capacity VC
 Respiratory disease RD
 Inspiratory capacity IC
 Adult respiratory distress syndrome ARDS
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34. Summary of Chapter 11
 Let us recap the main points of what we covered
in this lesson.
 We learned about the organs of the Respiratory
system and their functions.
 We also learned new medical terms
(pathological, diagnostic and laboratory tests).
 We got familiarized with a few selected
abbreviations.
 We also learnt to pronounce terms related to the
Respiratory system.
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35. Quick Recap
 Name the organs of the Respiratory system.
 What is the role of trachea in the respiratory
system?
 Name the two processes of respiration?
 In order to assess the respiratory functioning,
which three aspects of respiration should be
considered?
 Next we will be learning about the Nervous
system.
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36. References
 Rice, Jane. Medical Terminology: A Word-building Approach, Sixth
Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc., 2008.
 Chabner, Davi-Ellen. The Language of Medicine, Eighth Ed.
Philadelphia, PA: W.B Saunders Company, 2007.
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