Respiratory System Health Article

KEY TERMS

Acidosis—A dangerous condition in which the blood and body tissues are less alkaline (or more acidic) than normal.

Alkalosis—Excessive alkalinity of the blood and body tissue.

Bronchi—The trachea branches into two tubes at the base of the trachea called the left and right bronchi, which extend from the trachea to deliver air to the left and right lungs, respectively. The bronchi branch into smaller tubes called bronchioles within the lungs.

Bronchioles—The bronchioles are no larger than0.5mm (0.02 inches) in diameter and divide many times in the lungs to form a tree-like structure; they have progressively smaller branches and tiny air sacs called alveoli at the end.

Capillaries—Tiny blood vessels that lie beneath the mucous membrane near the surface of the nasal passages.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)—A gaseous waste product that is dumped into the bloodstream from the cells; a byproduct of respiration, it is released upon exhalation of air from the body.

Cilia—Each epithelial cell is fringed with thousands of these tiny fingerlike extensions of the cells.

Diaphragm—The diaphragm is involved in inhalation. It lies just under the lungs and is a muscle shaped like a large dome.

Epiglottis—A thin, leaflike flap of tissue that prevents food and fluids from entering the larynx from the pharynx.

Mucus—A thick, moist fluid that coats epithelial cells and cilia.

pH—the negative logarithm of H+ (hydrogen) concentration. Acid-base balance can be defined as homeostatis (equilibrium) of the body fluids at a normal arterial blood pH ranging between 7.37 and 7.43.

Thoracic cavity—Also called the chest cavity, it is the portion of the ventral body cavity located between the neck and the diaphragm. It is enclosed by the ribs, the vertebral column, and the sternum. It is separated from the abdominal cavity by the diaphragm.

BOOKS

Ganong, William F. Review of Medical Physiology, 20^th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, 2001.

Hlastala, Michael P., and Albert J. Berger. Physiology of Respiration, 2^nd ed. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2001.

Murray, John F. and Jay A. Nadel. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine (Two-Volume Set), 3^rd ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co., 2000.

West, John B. Respiratory Physiology: The Essentials, 6^th ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, 2000.

PERIODICALS

Baker, Frank et al. "Health risks associated with cigar smoking." Journal of the American Medical Association 284, no. 6 (2000) 735-740.

Beckett, W. S. "Current concepts: occupational respiratory diseases." New England Journal of Medicine 342 (2000): 406–413.

Napoli, Maryann. "Alleviating cold symptoms: what works, what doesn't." Healthfacts (January 2001). <http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0815/2001_Jan/68277444/p1/article.jhtml>.

ORGANIZATIONS

The American Lung Association, 1740 Broadway, NY, NY, 10019. (212) 315–8700. <http://www.lungusa.org>>.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), 31 Center Dr., Room #5B-58, Bethesda, MD 20892-2182. (800) NIH-NCAM, Fax (301) 495-4957. <http://nccam.nih.gov>.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Building 31, Room 4A21, Bethesda, MD 20892. (301) 496-4236. <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov>.

Crystal Heather Kaczkowski, MSc.