107CHAPTER 4 Respiratory System
Objectives
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe the type of medical treatment the pulmonologist provides.
- Identify respiratory structures by labeling them on anatomical illustrations.
- Describe the primary functions of the respiratory system.
- Describe diseases, conditions, and procedures related to the respiratory system.
- Apply your word-building skills by constructing medical terms related to the respiratory
system. - Describe common abbreviations and symbols related to the respiratory system.
- Recognize, define, pronounce, and spell terms correctly.
- Demonstrate your knowledge of this chapter by successfully completing the frames, reviews,
and medical report evaluations.
Medical Specialty
Pulmonology
The medical specialty of pulmonology,also called pulmonary medicine,is the branch of medicine concerned with
the diagnosis and treatment of diseases involving the structures of the lower respiratory tract, including the lungs,
their airways and blood vessels, and the chest wall (thoracic cage). Medical doctors who treat respiratory disorders are
called pulmonologists.Respiratory disorders include but are not limited to asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis,
lung disease, and pulmonary vascular disease. Pulmonologists also care for patients requiring specialized ventilator
support and lung transplantation. In general, they are specialized to diagnose and manage pulmonary disorders and
acute and chronic respiratory failure. Diagnosis and management of pulmonary disorders may include pulmonary
function tests, arterial blood gas analysis, chest x-rays, and chemical or microbiological tests.
Anatomy and Physiology Overview
The respiratory system consists of the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The upper tract includes the nose, pharynx, lar-
ynx, and trachea. The lower tract includes the left and right bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli, and lungs. (See Fig. 4–1.) The
main function of the respiratory system is to perform pulmonary ventilation of the body. Respiratory structures, along
with the structures of the cardiovascular system, transport oxygen (O 2 ) and remove carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), a waste prod-
uct, from the cells of the body. This process is accomplished by events of respiration, exchanging O 2 and CO 2 between
the environmental air and the blood circulating through the lungs. Secondary functions of the respiratory system include
warming air as it passes into the body and assisting in the speech function by providing air for the larynx and the vocal
cords.