Deck 16: The Respiratory System: Pulmonary Ventilation

Question 1

What keeps the visceral pleura in close proximity to the parietal pleura?

A) the mesothelia are one and the same
B) spider web -like processes extending from the outer covering
C) surface tension of the intrapleural fluid
D) positive pressure in the intrapleural space
E) trans -alveolar pressure

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What are the smallest (and most distal) structures that remain a component of the conducting zone in the respiratory tract?

A) respiratory bronchioles
B) secondary bronchi
C) tertiary bronchioles
D) bronchi
E) terminal bronchioles

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Why are alveoli arranged in small grape -like clusters?

A) increase chest volume and elasticity (resilience)
B) increase tidal volume
C) maximize surface area and minimize thickness
D) maximize density and volume
E) maximize surface area

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following specifically describes the movement of air into and out of the lungs?

A) internal respiration
B) respiration
C) secondary ventilation
D) pulmonary ventilation
E) expiration

Question 5

What happens to a dust particle that is too small to fall from the inspired air and land in the alveoli?

A) It lands in the respiratory bronchiole, where it is coughed out
B) It lands in the mucociliary ladder, where type II macrophages phagocytize it.
C) It is inhaled and then exhaled.
D) It lands in the bronchi, where it is absorbed.
E) It lands in the mucociliary ladder, where it is moved to the trachea to be exhaled.

Question 6

What is the function of alveolar pores?

A) speed the rate of diffusion
B) allow for nutrients to reach the alveolar cells
C) a portal for diapedesis
D) equalize pressure in the lungs
E) allow for exhalation of H₂O formed during cellular respiration

Question 7

What is the function of ciliated cells in the conducting zone?

A) propel mucus containing trapped particles toward the glottis
B) engulf foreign material that has been trapped within the mucus
C) move macrophages down the conducting zone toward the respiratory zone
D) provide the rigid support that keeps the conducting zone open
E) produce a viscous solution called mucus

Question 8

Which of the following is most abundant in the trachea and bronchi, becoming much less dense (and eventually absent) in the bronchioles?

A) cartilage
B) goblet cells
C) macrophages
D) smooth muscle cells
E) type II alveolar cells

Question 9

The transition from the conducting to the respiratory zone in the lungs occurs at the

A) terminal bronchioles.
B) alveolar ducts.
C) tertiary bronchi.
D) respiratory bronchioles.
E) alveoli.

Question 10

What is the thin barrier (0.2 µm) that allows for the efficient exchange of gases between the lungs and the blood called?

A) respiratory membrane
B) type I alveolar cell
C) type II alveolar cell
D) alveolar macrophage
E) endothelial cell

Question 11

An ex -smoker with emphysema has a pulmonary erosion into his intrapleural space. What life -threatening condition is he at imminent risk of developing?

A) bacterial pneumonia
B) pulmonary fibrosis
C) pneumothorax (air leaking into the intrapleural space)
D) adhesions to the parietal pleura
E) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Question 12

What is the primary anatomical difference that marks the dividing line between the conducting zone and the respiratory zone of the respiratory tract?

A) the absence of cartilage
B) the presence of macrophages
C) the absence of goblet cells
D) the presence of smooth muscle and the absence of cartilage
E) the thickness of the walls surrounding the air spaces

Question 13

Which of the following becomes more abundant deeper into the conducting zone (from bronchi to bronchioles)?

A) cartilage
B) cilia
C) goblet cells
D) smooth muscle
E) type I alveolar cells

Question 14

Which of the following processes is NOT a part of external respiration?

A) the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the blood and tissues by diffusion
B) the use of oxygen and generation of carbon dioxide by the mitochondria during energy metabolism
C) the transportation of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and body tissues by the blood
D) the movement of air into and out of the lungs by bulk flow
E) the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and blood by diffusion

Question 15

What happens to a dust particle that is too large to stay airborne and land in the alveoli?

A) It lands in the mucociliary ladder and moves to the pharynx to be swallowed.
B) It lands in the bronchi, where it is absorbed.
C) It lands in the mucociliary ladder, where type II macrophages phagocytize them.
D) It lands in the respiratory bronchiole, where it is coughed out.
E) It lands in the mucociliary ladder, where it is moved to the trachea to be exhaled.

Question 16

What is the significance of the respiratory membrane to facilitate gas exchange?

A) The surface area is increased with this membrane.
B) Its thickness prohibits the alveoli from pulling away from the capillary.
C) It is covered with surfactant to accelerate gas exchange.
D) Epithelial and endothelial cells share a common basement membrane.
E) All three surfaces are kept moist through interstitial fluid exchange.

Question 17

The COPD called emphysema forces the afflicted to exhale through pursed lips to maintain intrabronchial backpressure, thereby preventing

A) decreased traction.
B) surface tension decrease.
C) mixing of oxygenated/deoxygenated blood.
D) airway collapse.
E) the use of secondary breathing muscles.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a function of the respiratory system?

A) vocalization
B) acid -base balance of blood
C) enhancing venous return
D) heat loss
E) electrolyte balance of blood

Question 19

Mycoplasma tuberculosis, the causative agent in tuberculosis, primarily infects the alveolar macrophages and is therefore very fortunate in its size. Why is this statement true?

A) It is just small enough to land in the mucociliary ladder, where it is moved to the alveoli to infect macrophages.
B) It is just small enough to land in the bronchi, where it is absorbed by alveolar macrophages.
C) It is too small to be caught in the mucociliary ladder and too large to be immediately exhaled, thereby landing it in the alveoli.
D) It is just large enough to land in the respiratory bronchiole, where it migrates to the alveoli.
E) It is just large enough to land in the mucociliary ladder, where type II macrophages phagocytize them.

Question 20

What are the most common cells that line the surface of the alveoli and are therefore associated with the exchange of gases within the lungs?

A) macrophages
B) goblet cells
C) type I alveolar cells
D) type II alveolar cells
E) type III alveolar cells

Question 21

What are the primary inspiratory muscles?

A) diaphragm and external intercostals
B) diaphragm and abdominal muscles
C) diaphragm and internal intercostals
D) external and internal intercostals
E) diaphragm and the external and internal intercostals

Question 22

What does contraction of the diaphragm cause?

A) decrease in the volume of the thoracic cavity and, therefore, a decrease in atmospheric pressure
B) decrease in the volume of the thoracic cavity and, therefore, a decrease in intra -alveolar pressure
C) increase in the volume of the thoracic cavity and, therefore, an increase in intra -alveolar pressure
D) decrease in the volume of the thoracic cavity and, therefore, an increase in intra -alveolar pressure
E) increase in the volume of the thoracic cavity and, therefore, a decrease in intra -alveolar pressure

Question 23

The difference between what two pressures drives air into and out of the lungs?

A) atmospheric and intrapleural
B) central venous and intracoronary
C) atmospheric and intra -alveolar
D) pulmonary venous and atmospheric
E) intrapleural and intra -alveolar

Question 24

Which of the following is a measure of the distending force across the lungs?

A) difference between intra -alveolar pressure and atmospheric pressure
B) transpulmonary pressure
C) intrapleural pressure
D) intra -alveolar pressure
E) atmospheric pressure

Question 25

Equilibration of pressure between the intrapleural space and the alveoli will lead to which of the following?

A) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
B) restrictive pulmonary disease
C) air moving into the lungs
D) air moving out of the lungs
E) a pneumothorax (the lung will collapse)

Question 26

The compliance of the lungs can be determined by measuring the change in _ for a given
Change in .

A) lung volume : airway resistance
B) lung volume : transpulmonary pressure
C) intra -alveolar pressure : lung volume
D) lung volume : intra -alveolar pressure
E) airway resistance : lung volume

Question 27

When air is no longer moving through the respiratory tract and the airway is open to the environment, the pressure within the lung is equal to

A) intrapleural pressure.
B) atmospheric pressure.
C) transpulmonary pressure.
D) systolic blood pressure.
E) end -diastolic pressure.

Question 28

At rest, expiration is a(n) process that involves .

A) active : contraction of the internal intercostals
B) active : relaxation of the diaphragm
C) passive : relaxation of the internal intercostals
D) active : the contraction of the diaphragm
E) passive : relaxation of the diaphragm and external intercostals

Question 29

As the volume of the lung increases, atmospheric pressure

A) will follow Starling's law.
B) will follow the ideal gas law.
C) decreases.
D) increases.
E) will not change.

Question 30

Which of the following varies rhythmically with respiration?

A) atmospheric pressure only
B) intrapleural pressure only
C) intra -alveolar pressure only
D) both intrapleural pressure and intra -alveolar pressure
E) both atmospheric pressure and intrapleural pressure

Question 31

What is the volume of air present in the lungs when the lungs are at rest (in between breaths)?

A) zero
B) tidal volume
C) residual volume
D) functional residual capacity
E) total lung capacity

Question 32

Which of the following is TRUE when the lung volume is equal to the functional residual capacity?

A) Intra -alveolar pressure is greater than atmospheric pressure.
B) Intra -alveolar pressure is less than intrapleural pressure.
C) Intrapleural pressure is zero.
D) The elastic recoil of the lungs is balanced by the elastic recoil of the chest wall.
E) Intra -alveolar pressure is less than atmospheric pressure.

Question 33

As the lungs expand, intra -alveolar pressure

A) increases : out of
B) decreases : out of
C) decreases : into
D) increases : into
E) does not change : neither into nor out of

Question 34

Which of the following is a chronic inflammatory pulmonary disorder characterized by reversible obstruction of the airways?

A) tuberculosis
B) pulmonary edema
C) pulmonary fibrosis
D) asthma
E) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Question 35

Which of the following occurs when intra -alveolar pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure?

A) Air moves into the lung.
B) Air moves out of the lung.
C) The lung must be expanding.
D) Intrapleural pressure is greater than intra -alveolar pressure.
E) The lung collapses.

Question 36

The difference between intrapleural pressure and intra -alveolar pressure is

A) transpulmonary pressure.
B) the driving force for air flow into and out of the lungs.
C) zero.
D) approximately 100 mm Hg.
E) atmospheric pressure.

Question 37

As the volume of the chest wall increases, the concomitant expansion of the lungs is due to a(n)

A) decrease in intra -alveolar pressure.
B) increase in transpulmonary pressure.
C) increase in atmospheric pressure.
D) decrease in transpulmonary pressure.
E) increase in intrapleural pressure.

Question 38

Which of the following pressures is lower during inspiration than during expiration?

A) intra -alveolar pressure only
B) transpulmonary pressure only
C) intrapleural pressure only
D) both intra -alveolar and transpulmonary pressures
E) both intra -alveolar and intrapleural pressures

Question 39

The compliance of the lung is determined by the elasticity of the lung and

A) volume.
B) airway resistance.
C) surface tension.
D) intra -alveolar pressure.
E) transpulmonary pressure.

Question 40

The muscles of respiration are

A) skeletal muscle, innervated by the somatic nervous system.
B) smooth muscle, innervated by the autonomic nervous system.
C) smooth muscle, without innervation.
D) skeletal muscle, innervated by the autonomic nervous system.
E) smooth muscle, innervated by the somatic nervous system.

Question 41

What is the volume of air moved into and out of the lungs in a single breath during unforced breathing called?

A) minute ventilation
B) total lung capacity
C) vital capacity
D) tidal volume
E) functional residual capacity

Question 42

A(n) is used clinically to measure lung volumes and rates of air flow.

A) electroencephalogram
B) spirometer
C) X -ray
D) ratiometer
E) electrocardiograph

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT part of the response of an airway to specific allergens that initiate an asthmatic response?

A) increased secretion of mucus
B) increased release of corticosteroids
C) increased airway resistance
D) increased histamine release
E) increased inflammatory response

Question 44

How do tractive forces affect the airways during inspiration?

A) increase in compliance
B) increase in airway resistance
C) decrease in airway resistance
D) bronchodilation
E) decrease in compliance

Question 45

A decrease in is indicative of a restrictive pulmonary disease.

A) minute ventilation
B) forced expiratory volume
C) vital capacity
D) tidal volume
E) residual volume

Question 46

Which of the following chemicals will NOT result in a decrease in airway resistance?

A) epinephrine
B) norepinephrine
C) carbon dioxide
D) histamine
E) bronchodilators

Question 47

A healthy person can normally exhale what percentage of his or her vital capacity in one second?

A) 10
B) 50
C) 20
D) 80
E) 100

Question 48

Which of the following measurements cannot be determined by a spirometer?

A) tidal volume
B) residual volume
C) inspiratory reserve volume
D) vital capacity
E) inspiratory capacity

Question 49

The presence of a negative intrapleural pressure at maximum expiration is responsible for which of the following?

A) functional residual volume
B) residual volume
C) vital capacity
D) tidal volume
E) functional residual capacity

Question 50

A normal vital capacity is approximately mL.

A) 1000
B) 4500
C) 100
D) 9000
E) 500

Question 51

What benefit are corticosteroids in the treatment of asthma?

A) They decrease mucus secretion into the airways.
B) They increase blood flow to the airways.
C) They reduce inflammation of the airways.
D) They induce bronchodilation.
E) They induce bronchoconstriction.

Question 52

The surface tension of the alveolus is reduced by surfactants produced by what type of cells?

A) ciliated
B) goblet
C) type I alveolar
D) type II alveolar
E) type III alveolar

Question 53

What is the term for the volume of air moved into the lungs every minute?

A) pulmonary ventilation
B) minute ventilation
C) total lung capacity
D) tidal volume
E) alveolar ventilation

Question 54

In an obstructive disease, the lungs can become overinflated because the difficulty in tends to _.

A) expiration : increase residual volume and total lung capacity
B) expiration : decrease total lung capacity and vital capacity
C) inspiration : increase total lung capacity and vital capacity
D) inspiration : decrease total lung capacity and vital capacity
E) expiration : increase vital capacity

Question 55

A normal tidal volume at rest is approximately mL.

A) 1000
B) 100
C) 10,000
D) 5000
E) 500

Question 56

Which of the following is responsible for changes in airway resistance that occur in a single breath?

A) surrounding atmospheric pressure
B) sensitivity of smooth muscle cells to allergens
C) passive forces exerted on the airways
D) autonomic nervous system
E) contractility of smooth muscle cells

Question 57

A decrease in

A) tidal volume is indicative of an obstructive pulmonary disease.
B) forced vital capacity
C) minute ventilation
D) residual volume
E) forced expiratory volume

Question 58

Which of the following is NOT involved in altering the resistance of the airway to air movement?

A) tractive forces exerted on the airway by surrounding tissue
B) contractile activity of bronchiolar smooth muscle cells
C) pulmonary surfactant concentration
D) transpulmonary pressure
E) secretion of mucus into the airway

Question 59

Functional residual capacity is comprised of which of the following?

A) residual volume and expiratory reserve volume only
B) tidal volume and inspiratory reserve volume only
C) vital capacity and expiratory reserve volume only
D) tidal volume, inspiratory reserve volume, and expiratory reserve volume
E) tidal volume and expiratory reserve volume only

Question 60

The tidal volume and inspiratory reserve volume together make up which of the following?

A) functional residual capacity
B) residual volume
C) total lung capacity
D) vital capacity
E) inspiratory capacity

Question 61

Which pressure changes with the phases of respiration from a negative value during inspiration and a positive value during expiration?

A) atmospheric pressure
B) intra -alveolar pressure
C) rebound pressure (elastic recoil)
D) transpulmonary pressure
E) intrapleural pressure

Question 62

What is the term for the volume of air that reaches the respiratory zone each minute?

A) total lung capacity
B) alveolar ventilation
C) pulmonary ventilation
D) minute ventilation
E) tidal volume

Question 63

Which pressure changes with the phases of respiration but is always negative?

A) rebound pressure (elastic recoil)
B) atmospheric pressure
C) transpulmonary pressure
D) intrapleural pressure
E) intra -alveolar pressure

Question 64

What happens to the amount of smooth muscle found in the walls of the respiratory tract as it moves down from the upper conducting zone to the lower respiratory zone?

A) thins
B) no change
C) increases
D) decreases
E) It is not found in the conducting zone.

Question 65

Which pressure equals atmospheric pressure during a pneumothorax, causing the lungs to collapse?

A) intra -alveolar pressure
B) atmospheric pressure
C) transpulmonary pressure
D) rebound pressure (elastic recoil)
E) intrapleural pressure

Question 66

Which cells form the lung tissue component of the respiratory membrane?

A) type I alveolar cells
B) alveolar macrophages
C) type II alveolar cells
D) ciliated cells
E) goblet cells

Question 67

What happens to the amount of cilia lining the inner walls of the respiratory tract as it moves down from the upper conducting zone to the lower respiratory zone?

A) increases
B) no change
C) atrophies
D) decreases
E) thickens

Question 68

Which cells engulf foreign particles that reach the lungs?

A) alveolar macrophages
B) goblet cells
C) type II alveolar cells
D) type I alveolar cells
E) ciliated cells

Question 69

Which cells secrete surfactant?

A) ciliated cells
B) goblet cells
C) alveolar macrophages
D) type II alveolar cells
E) type I alveolar cells

Question 70

What happens to the number of goblet cells found in the walls of the respiratory tract as it moves down from the upper conducting zone to the lower respiratory zone?

A) increases
B) no change
C) thickens
D) decreases
E) changes to ciliated pseudostratified epithelium

Question 71

What happens to the amount of cartilage in the walls of the respiratory tract as it moves down from the upper conducting zone to the lower respiratory zone?

A) no change
B) hypertrophies
C) decreases
D) thickens
E) increases

Question 72

Which pressure is constant during the respiratory cycle?

A) intra -alveolar pressure
B) rebound pressure (elastic recoil)
C) transpulmonary pressure
D) intrapleural pressure
E) atmospheric pressure

Question 73

Which pressure is created by the elastic recoil of the lungs and chest wall?

A) intra -alveolar pressure
B) exhalation pressure
C) atmospheric pressure
D) intrapleural pressure
E) transpulmonary pressure

Question 74

Which cells secrete mucus?

A) type II alveolar cells
B) alveolar macrophages
C) ciliated cells
D) goblet cells
E) type I alveolar cells

Question 75

What is the volume of the respiratory pathway that is NOT able to exchange gases (conducting pathway) called?

A) anatomical dead space
B) residual volume
C) dead volume
D) functional dead space
E) functional residual volume

Question 76

Which pressure is the distending force on the lungs?

A) intra -alveolar pressure
B) rebound pressure (elastic recoil)
C) atmospheric pressure
D) intrapleural pressure
E) transpulmonary pressure

Question 77

Which cells form the mucus escalator?

A) ciliated cells
B) type II alveolar cells
C) goblet cells
D) type I alveolar cells
E) alveolar macrophages

Question 78

The volume of air remaining in the lungs following a maximum expiration is called

A) inspiratory reserve volume.
B) inspiratory capacity.
C) vital capacity.
D) tidal volume.
E) residual volume.

Question 79

Which of the following has the difference between its pressure and atmospheric pressure driving the air into and out of the lungs?

A) transpulmonary pressure
B) intrapleural pressure
C) intra -alveolar pressure
D) atmospheric pressure
E) rebound pressure (elastic recoil)

Question 80

What happens to the inner diameter of the walls of the respiratory tract as it moves down from the upper conducting zone to the lower respiratory zone?

A) decreases
B) increases
C) thins
D) no change
E) thickens