Question 1

The vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves carry afferent signals from peripheral chemoreceptors to a chemosensitive area in the ___________.
A) pontine respiratory group
B) dorsal respiratory group
C) ventral respiratory group
D) medulla oblongata
E) pons

Accepted Answer

The medulla oblongata contains a chemosensitive area that receives afferent signals from peripheral chemoreceptors via the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves.

Question 2

According to the Bohr effect,a low level of oxyhemoglobin enables the blood to transport more CO₂.

Accepted Answer

The Bohr effect actually describes how a lower pH (which often results from high CO2 levels) leads to hemoglobin releasing more oxygen to tissues, not about transporting more CO2.

Question 3

Your breathing rate is 12 breaths/minute;your tidal volume is 500 mL;your vital capacity is 4700 mL;and your dead air space is 150 mL.Your alveolar ventilation rate is __________ mL/min.
A) 2,400
B) 3,600
C) 4,200
D) 5,600
E) 6,400

Accepted Answer

Alveolar ventilation rate (AVR) is the volume of air exchanged between the atmosphere and the alveoli per minute. It is calculated as:

AVR = (tidal volume - dead space) x respiratory rate

AVR = (500 mL - 150 mL) x 12 breaths/minute
AVR = 4,200 mL/minute

Therefore, the answer is C) 4,200.

Question 4

Erythrocytes do not carry out aerobic respiration;thus,they do not consume any of the oxygen they are transporting.

Accepted Answer

Erythrocytes, also known as red blood cells, do not contain mitochondria, which is the organelle responsible for carrying out aerobic respiration. Therefore, they do not consume any of the oxygen they are transporting. Instead, they rely on anaerobic respiration to produce energy for their own maintenance and production.

Question 5

Respiratory arrest is an irreversible condition.

Accepted Answer

Respiratory arrest can be reversible if appropriate interventions are taken in time, such as artificial ventilation or administering medications to stimulate breathing. However, if left untreated for too long, it can lead to irreversible brain damage or death.

Question 6

Hemoglobin releases the same amount of oxygen to all the tissues regardless of variations in their metabolic rate.

Accepted Answer

Hemoglobin releases oxygen to tissues based on their metabolic demand, meaning that tissues with higher metabolic rates will receive more oxygen. This is known as the Bohr effect, and is due to the fact that tissues with high metabolic rates produce more acid and carbon dioxide, which decrease the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen and facilitate its release.

Question 7

Output from higher brain centers can bypass both the DRG and VRG and go directly to __________,which controls the accessory muscles of respiration.
A) the diaphragm
B) spinal integration centers
C) the cerebral cortex
D) the vagus nerve

Accepted Answer

Spinal integration centers receive direct input from higher brain centers to control the accessory muscles of respiration, bypassing the direct respiratory centers like the Dorsal Respiratory Group (DRG) and Ventral Respiratory Group (VRG). This allows for the coordination of more complex respiratory movements, such as those involved in speech or exercise.

Question 8

Scuba divers breathe a nitrogen-oxygen mixture rather than pure compressed oxygen in order to avoid what condition?
A) The bends
B) Oxygen toxicity
C) Rapture of the deep
D) Caisson disease
E) Hypoxemic hypoxia

Accepted Answer

Oxygen toxicity occurs when breathing pure oxygen at increased pressure, which can happen in deep diving situations. Scuba divers use a nitrogen-oxygen mixture to mitigate this risk.

Question 9

The pleurae and pleural fluid help prevent the spread of pulmonary infection to the pericardium.

Accepted Answer

The pleurae and pleural fluid act as a physical barrier and prevent the spread of pulmonary infection to the pericardium, which is the outer protective layer of the heart. This helps to protect the heart from infections that may arise in the lungs.

Question 10

The rate of oxygen diffusion is affected by the pressure gradient of carbon dioxide.

Accepted Answer

The rate of oxygen diffusion is primarily affected by the oxygen pressure gradient, not the carbon dioxide pressure gradient.

Question 11

Which of the following issues output to the VRG to adjust the respiratory rhythm?
A) DRG
B) PRG
C) NRG
D) SRG

Accepted Answer

DRG (dorsal respiratory group) is responsible for adjusting the respiratory rhythm and sending output to the VRG (ventral respiratory group) to control breathing. PRG (pontine respiratory group) adjusts the depth and rate of breathing, NRG (nucleus retroambiguus) is involved in the control of swallowing, and SRG (solitary respiratory group) is involved in the control of respiratory reflexes such as coughing and sneezing.

Question 12

Among its other purposes,how is the Valsalva maneuver used?
A) To aid in defecation and urination
B) As part of the procedure for giving CPR to a person in respiratory arrest
C) To ventilate the lungs during eupnea
D) To expel more than the usual tidal volume from the lungs
E) To clear carbon monoxide from the body and replace it with oxygen

Accepted Answer

The Valsalva maneuver is used to aid in defecation and urination by increasing abdominal pressure, which in turn helps in the expulsion process. It is not directly used in CPR, for lung ventilation during normal breathing (eupnea), to expel tidal volume from the lungs, or to clear carbon monoxide from the body.

Question 13

Nitrogen bubbles can form in the blood and other tissues when a scuba diver ascends too rapidly,producing a syndrome called _________.
A) decompression sickness
B) hyperbaric disease
C) cerebral embolism
D) pulmonary barotrauma
E) pulmonary edema

Accepted Answer

Nitrogen bubbles forming in the blood and tissues is a characteristic of decompression sickness, which results from rapid ascent during scuba diving. Hyperbaric disease, cerebral embolism, pulmonary barotrauma, and pulmonary edema are all conditions that can occur during scuba diving but are not specifically related to nitrogen bubbles forming in the blood and tissues.

Question 14

Breathing is controlled solely by the medulla oblongata and pons.

Accepted Answer

Breathing is primarily controlled by the medulla oblongata and the pons, but it can also be influenced by other parts of the brain, such as the cerebral cortex, which allows for voluntary control over breathing, and chemoreceptors outside the brain that detect changes in blood chemistry.

Question 15

Blood banks dispose of blood that has low levels of bisphosphoglycerate.What would be the probable reason for doing so? A) A low BPG level causes acidosis of blood. B) Erythrocytes low in BPG do not unload CO₂ very well. C) Erythrocytes low in BPG do not unload O₂ very well. D) Erythrocytes low in BPG do not load O₂ very well. E) A decline in BPG level is accompanied by a decline in hemoglobin level.

Accepted Answer

Bisphosphoglycerate (BPG) is crucial for facilitating the release of oxygen from hemoglobin. Low levels of BPG in erythrocytes impair their ability to unload oxygen effectively to tissues.

Question 16

Mucus plays an important role in cleansing inhaled air.It is produced by __________ of the respiratory tract.
A) squamous alveolar cells
B) great alveolar cells
C) the pleurae
D) ciliated cells
E) goblet cells

Accepted Answer

Mucus is produced by goblet cells throughout the respiratory tract. The mucus traps foreign particles and bacteria that are inhaled, and the cilia of the respiratory tract beat in a coordinated way to move the mucus up and out of the respiratory system, effectively clearing it of potential pathogens.

Question 17

The blood transports more CO₂ in the form of ___________ than in any other form. A) carbaminohemoglobin B) carboxyhemoglobin C) bicarbonate ions D) dissolved CO₂ gas E) bisphosphocarbonate

Accepted Answer

Most of the carbon dioxide produced in the tissues is converted to bicarbonate ions by the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. Bicarbonate ions are highly soluble in water and are transported in the plasma to the lungs where they are converted back to carbon dioxide and exhaled. Therefore, the blood transports more carbon dioxide in the form of bicarbonate ions than in any other form.

Question 18

Gas transport is the process of carrying gases from the alveoli to the systemic tissues and vice versa.

Accepted Answer

Gas transport is the process of carrying gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide from the lungs (alveoli) to the systemic tissues and back.

Question 19

Your breathing rate is 14 breaths/minute;spirometric measurements reveal your tidal volume is 500 mL;your inspiratory reserve volume is 3000 mL;and your expiratory reserve volume is 1,200 mL.Your vital capacity is __________ mL.
A) 2,400
B) 3,000
C) 3,800
D) 4,700
E) 5,800

Accepted Answer

Vital capacity is calculated by adding tidal volume (TV), inspiratory reserve volume (IRV), and expiratory reserve volume (ERV). So, 500 mL (TV) + 3000 mL (IRV) + 1200 mL (ERV) = 4700 mL.

Question 20

The maximum amount of air the lungs can contain is known as inspiratory capacity.

Accepted Answer

The maximum amount of air the lungs can contain is known as total lung capacity. The inspiratory capacity refers to the maximum volume of air that can be inhaled after a normal exhalation.

Quiz 22: The Respiratory System

The vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves carry afferent signals from peripheral chemoreceptors to a chemosensitive area in the ___________.

According to the Bohr effect,a low level of oxyhemoglobin enables the blood to transport more CO2.

Your breathing rate is 12 breaths/minute;your tidal volume is 500 mL;your vital capacity is 4700 mL;and your dead air space is 150 mL.Your alveolar ventilation rate is __________ mL/min.

Erythrocytes do not carry out aerobic respiration;thus,they do not consume any of the oxygen they are transporting.

Respiratory arrest is an irreversible condition.

Hemoglobin releases the same amount of oxygen to all the tissues regardless of variations in their metabolic rate.

Output from higher brain centers can bypass both the DRG and VRG and go directly to __________,which controls the accessory muscles of respiration.

Scuba divers breathe a nitrogen-oxygen mixture rather than pure compressed oxygen in order to avoid what condition?

The pleurae and pleural fluid help prevent the spread of pulmonary infection to the pericardium.

The rate of oxygen diffusion is affected by the pressure gradient of carbon dioxide.

Which of the following issues output to the VRG to adjust the respiratory rhythm?

Among its other purposes,how is the Valsalva maneuver used?

Nitrogen bubbles can form in the blood and other tissues when a scuba diver ascends too rapidly,producing a syndrome called _________.

Breathing is controlled solely by the medulla oblongata and pons.

Blood banks dispose of blood that has low levels of bisphosphoglycerate.What would be the probable reason for doing so?

Mucus plays an important role in cleansing inhaled air.It is produced by __________ of the respiratory tract.

The blood transports more CO2 in the form of ___________ than in any other form.

Gas transport is the process of carrying gases from the alveoli to the systemic tissues and vice versa.

Your breathing rate is 14 breaths/minute;spirometric measurements reveal your tidal volume is 500 mL;your inspiratory reserve volume is 3000 mL;and your expiratory reserve volume is 1,200 mL.Your vital capacity is __________ mL.

The maximum amount of air the lungs can contain is known as inspiratory capacity.

According to the Bohr effect,a low level of oxyhemoglobin enables the blood to transport more CO₂.

The blood transports more CO₂ in the form of ___________ than in any other form.