Lower Respiratory Tract

Lower Respiratory Tract

1. Larynx

   • Function
     • Passageway for air
     • Prevents ingested materials from entering the resp tract
     • Produces sound
     • Assists in increasing pressure in the abdominal cavity
     • Participates in both a sneeze and cough reflex
   • Anatomy
     • Laryngeal Inlet
       • opening that connects the pharynx and larynx
     • Formed and Supported by 9 pieces of cartilage - held in place by ligaments and muscles
       • Single Thyroid
         • Largest
         • Laryngeal Prominence (Adam's Apple)
         • Shield like appearance
         • Forms interior and lateral walls of larynx
         • Attached to lateral surface cricoid cartilage
         • Hyaline Cartilage
       • Cricoid
         • Ring Shaped
         • Inferior to Tyroid Cartilage
         • Hyaline Cartilage
       • Epiglottis Cartilages
         • Large, spoon,leaf shaped
         • Anchored to the inner aspect of the thyroid cartilage and projects posterosuperiorly into the pharynx
         • Closes over the laryngeal inlet during swallowing
       • Paired Arytenoid Cartilages
         • Located internally
         • Hyaline Cartilage
       • Paired Corniculate Cartilage
         • Located internally
         • Hyaline Cartilage
       • Paired Cuniform Cartilage
         • Located Internally
         • Hyaline Cartilage
     • Ligaments
       • Extrinsic
         • Attach to the external surface of laryngeal cartilages and extend to other structures that include the superiorly located hyoid bone and inferiorly located trachea
       • Intrinsic
         • Located within the larynx and include both vocal and vestibular ligaments
         • Vocal Ligaments
           • Composed of: Elastic Connective Tissue
           • Extend: anterior to posterior between the thyroid and artenoid cartilages
           • Vocal folds
             • Produces sound when air passes between them.
             • Avascular, white, mucosa
             • Rima Glottidis
               • Opening between the folds
             • Together form Glottis

2. Trachea

3. Bronchial Tree

4. Respiratory Zone