Let's experience A Snow Capped Mountain Near the Equator as a Chapter Overview

One of the highlights of a visit to East Africa is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It is an easy climb to the 19,340 foot summit, providing your Respiratory System is reasonably fit. You will need to bring water as there is none available beyond the tree line at 12,000 feet. Your will need to rent warm clothing, for even though you are close to the equator, it is possible to freeze to death at the highest point, Gilman's Peak.

There will be three stops along the way. The first day's climb is to hut Maraba up 9,000 through a rain forest canopy containing crystal streams. The view of the valleys and plains below is spectacular. You become part of this landscape as gases are exchanged between the oxygen rich tropical plants and the carbon dioxide in your lungs.

A 3,000 foot climb on the second day to Horombo hut takes you through a myriad of scenes, first a passage through a dense forest, then a crossing over the tree line into rocky terrain. As atmospheric pressure decreases below the 760mmHg that is found at sea level, the pace really slows down. It becomes hard to breathe, as the capacity to load oxygen onto the hemoglobin molecule decreases.

On the third day you climb the barren moonscape to Kibo hut. At times the fatigue is overwhelming and is only diminished by a constant pounding headache. Why can't the lungs suck in enough oxygen! You are hyperventilating, causing respiratory alkalosis as you blow off too much carbon dioxide. The heart is racing oxygen carrying red blood cells at a frantic speed around the body. These symptoms are so severe that some people must stop here.

At midnight you wake up for the final icy, slow ascent, that is if your hammering headache has permitted sleep. No need to bring food as the nausea would not allow you to keep it down. This climb involves placing one foot in front of the other and moving forward at a snail's pace. It is winter cold, your feet feel frostbitten, yet you maneuver the steep slope anticipating reaching your goal.

Sunrise at Gilman's Peak opens up a spectacular view of the plains far below dropping through the clouds. Are you up for this adventure? Study the Respiratory system first to be well prepared.

Part 1: The Air Passageways
        a. the upper respiratory tract
        b. the lower respiratory tract

1. Define in your own words the term, Respiration. ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. List six organs of the Respiratory System.
upper respiratory tract                                          lower respiratory tract

_______________________                          _______________________

_______________________                          _______________________

                                                                        _______________________

                                                                        _______________________

3. Identify the functions of the nasal cavity structures below:
nasal bones __________________________________________________
paranasal sinuses ______________________________________________
superior, medial, and inferior conchae ______________________________
olfactory region _______________________________________________
ciliated columnar epithelium ______________________________________

4. Name in order of air passage, the three regions of the pharynx.
1._________________, 2._________________ 3._____________________

5. The regions of the pharynx listed above contain the following structures.
Label below as 1, 2, or 3, to indicate the area of the pharynx pertaining to the following:

___ adenoids   ___ Eustachian tubes      ___ palatine tonsils
___ continuous with esophagus                ___ fauces

6. The anatomical name for your Adam's apple is ________________.

7. The lid that closes the larynx during swallowing is the ____________.

8. List the hyaline cartilages of the larynx.

single cartilages                                          paired cartilages
_________________                              _________________
_________________
_________________

9. Explain how the vocal cords were operating to produce the sounds.
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

10. Describe the four layers of the tracheal wall.

The superficial layer is a _________________________ membrane.
The trachea is a flexible straw due to the third tissue layer called _____________.
The supporting tissue is called the ______________________.
The type of epithelium found in the deepest layer is called __________________.

11. Describe the protective features of the trachea. This month marks the anniversay of the Challenger disaster and the country's understanding of "C" rings on space capsules. Describe what happens when the "C" rings of the trachea are damaged. _______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

12. List two procedures that are used to alleviate this problem.
1._______________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________

13. Describe the anatomical features of the primary bronchus. If you were traveling down the trachea, which bronchus would be the easier to enter? _____________________________________________________________

Explain your reason for traveling this route.
_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

Part 2: Lung Anatomy

14. Describe the gross anatomy of the lung. _____________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Which pleura lines the ribs? _________________________________________
Which pleura covers the lungs?_______________________________________

15. Trace the bronchial tree from the primary bronchus to the alveolar ducts.

______________________-->________________________--> ______________________--> _______________________--> ______________________-->_______________________

16. List the functions of microscopic lung tissue.

Alveoli ( Type I cells)
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Septal cells (Type II cells)
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

Macrophages
_________________________________________________________

Fibroblasts
_________________________________________________________

17. Diagram the respiratory membrane. Oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange occurs via DIFFUSION across the thin respiratory membrane. Draw a diagram below of an alveolus and pulmonary capillary and include the following labels.

Type 1 alveolar cell
epithelial basement membrane
interstitial space
capillary basement membrane
endothelium

                                                            diffuse across little gas bubbles

Part 3: Inspiration/Expiration
        A. pulmonary ventilation
        B. compliance

Turned upside down, that is what inversely proportional means. You know the anatomy of the lung, it is an expandable closed container. Take a look at Boyle's Law (this law is not about pus-filled skin or hot water,) and we can explain how the lung works.

18. State Boyle's law in your own words.
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

19. Identify the three pressures involved in respiration. Inhale deeply and hold it. Name the three pressures involved in this action.

1.____________________________________________
2.____________________________________________
3.____________________________________________

20. List the muscles of inspiration.

quiet breathing                                                      deep breathing

_______________________                           ______________________
_______________________                           ______________________
                                                                        ______________________

Describe the effect these muscles have on the size of the thoracic cavity.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

21. Explain the action in the thoracic cavity during quiet inspiration.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

22. Now exhale slowly through you mouth and answer the following questions using the symbols: < (less than), > ( greater than), and = (equal to).

a. Before inspiration the pressure in your lungs was ____________ atmospheric pressure.
b. When the diaphragm and external intercostals contracted, the pressure in your lungs was ______________ atmospheric pressure.
c. The pressure in the pleural space is always _____________ atmospheric and intrapulmonary pressure.
d. When the diaphragm and external intercostals relax, the pressure in you lungs was ______________ atmospheric pressure.
e. Are there muscle contractions during quiet expiration? _______

23. Try a deep breathing exercise! Inhale deeply, then forcefully exhale. PUSH! PUSH! PUSH! that abdomen in. Are there muscle contractions during forced expiration?_______________

If your answer is yes, name the muscles involved and describe their functions.

muscles                                                  function
___________________                      ___________________________
___________________                      ___________________________

Focus Question

Contrast the events of Expiration and Inspiration as they apply to Boyle's law.
A little help comes from my rap poem below.

The volume goes up,
the pressure goes down,
little molecules float around.
Quiet inspiration this is called,
diaphragm and EI are involved.
Flat diaphragm was once a dome,
with EI's up the ribs do roam.
Then the volume goes down
pulmonic pressure's increased,
expiratory air is then released.

Would you like to learn a relaxation technique called diaphragmatic breathing to use when you become stressed out this semester or have insomnia? Let's see if you are cheating yourself when you breathe by analyzing your deep breathing?

Inhale and exhale as deeply as possible.

Did you inhale                    Did you exhale
by expanding                      by rounding
your chest first                    your shoulders
and drawing in                    and chest with
your abdomen.                   your abdomen
                                         pushed out

This is incorrect breathing! You have cheated your abdominal muscles, your nerves, and your blood flow, not to mention poor ventilation in your lungs!

How to inhale! (Better known as the belly-breath)
Put your hands on your abdomen and inhale slowly. Relax your external and internal obliques, transversus abdominis, and rectus abdominis muscles by dropping the belly down and forward. Continue pulling in air by expanding and lifting your chest filling the alveoli with air. PRACTICE!

How to exhale!
Sit up straight, press your hands against your abdomen and slowly squeeze the air by relaxing your chest. Now pull in the abdomen and exhale the remaining breath. PRACTICE THIS ALSO!

BREATHE IN-----------BELLY GOES OUT

BREATHE OUT-------- BELLY GOES IN

Relaxation technique! Are you ready to put this together?

Lie on your back with your knees bent and touching each other. Spread your feet and place your hands on your abdomen. Concentrate on breathing in deeply with your abdomen rising and exhaling deeply pushing your abdomen towards the floor. Relax all muscles every time you exhale. Focus all your attention on breathing for five minutes.

24. Explain how surface tension and elastic fibers affect compliance. 1._______________________________________________________      ________________________________________________________ 2._______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

25. To reinforce your understanding indicate the following as having either high or low compliance.
a. alveoli that easily inflate _________________________________
b. a person who smokes __________________________________
c. respiratory distress syndrome _____________________________
d. tuberculosis __________________________________________
e. high surface tension in the alveoli ___________________________
f. asthma ______________________________________________
g. pneumothorax ________________________________________