Question | Answer |
alveolus | a tiny sac, with a wall that is one cell thick, found at the end of a bronchiole; respiratory gases are exchanged in this sac |
asthma | a lung disease that causes chronic inflammation of the lungs and overproduction of mucus in the lungs |
bronchitis | a respiratory disease that causes inflammation of the mucous membranes of the bronchi; it is classified as either acute (due to infection) or chronic (due to an irritant) |
bronchus | the passageway that branches from the trachea to the lungs |
bronchiole | the passageway that branches from each bronchus inside the lung into increasingly smaller, thin-walled tubes |
bronchoscopy | a technology for viewing, diagnosing, and treating the tissues and organs of the respiratory system |
capillary | Any of the branching blood vessels that form a network between the arterioles and venules. |
carcinoma | a tumour made up of rapidly multiplying cells |
computed axial tomography | a specialized X ray technique for imaging organs and other tissues in the body; also known as a CAT or CT scan |
cystic fibrosis | a genetic disease that causes a thick build-up of mucus in the lungs, resulting in infection, inflammation, and damage to the lung tissues |
diaphragm | a sheet of muscle that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity |
diffusion | gradient describes the relationship in which a dissolved substance moves from a region of high concentration to a region of low concentration |
emphysema | a chronic respiratory disease that affects the ability of the lungs to expel air |
expiration | the action of releasing waste air from the lungs |
expiratory reserve volume | the volume of air that can be expelled from the lungs beyond the regular tidal exhalation |
gas exchange | the transfer of oxygen from inhaled air into the blood, and of carbon dioxide from the blood into the lungs; it is the primary function of the lungs |
glottis | the opening of the trachea through which air enters the larynx |
hemoglobin | an iron containing protein found in red blood cells, which binds to and transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body |
inspiration | the action of drawing oxygen-rich air into the lungs |
inspiratory reserve volume | the volume of air that can be taken into the lungs beyond the regular tidal inhalation |
laryngitis | an inflammation of the larynx that can cause the voice to become raspy or hoarse |
larynx | the structure between the glottis and the trachea that contains the vocal cords |
metastasis | the spread of cancerous cells from their original site to other parts of the body |
pharynx | the passageway just behind the mouth that connects the mouth and nasal cavity to the larynx and esophagus |
pneumonia | a disease that causes inflammation in one or both lungs; it is usually caused by a viral infection or a bacterial infection |
residual volume | the volume of air that remains in the lungs after a complete exhalation |
respiratory system | the group of organs that provides living things with oxygen from outside the body and disposes of waste products such as carbon dioxide |
respiration | all of the processes involved in bringing oxygen into the body, making it available to each cell, and eliminating carbon dioxide as waste |
spirograph | a graph representing the amount (volume) and speed (rate of flow) of air that is inhaled and exhaled, as measured by a spirometer |
two-photon microscopy | a technique that uses photons to form images of living tissue up to a depth of 1 mm |
tidal volume | the volume of air inhaled and exhaled during normal breathing |
tonsillitis | an infection of the tonsils caused by a virus or by bacteria |
trachea | the tube that carries air from the nasal passages or mouth to the bronchi and then to the lungs; also known as the windpipe |
ventilation | the process of drawing, or pumping, an oxygen containing medium over a respiratory surface |
vital capacity | the total maximum volume of air that can be moved into and out of the lungs during a single breath |