Functional Anatomy of the Respiratory System (Nursing)

00:01 So now let's look at the functional anatomy of the respiratory system.

00:06 So starting with the upper portion or the upper respiratory tract.

00:11 We have three major organs.

00:14 We have our nose and nasal cavity which are important for warming of air, moistening of air as well as filtering incoming air.

00:24 We also use our nose and nasal cavity for detecting odor or olfaction, and believe it or not we also use it for modifying our speech.

00:35 For example, when I talk like this, my airways are nice and open.

00:40 However what I pinch my nose that changes the way by voice comes out.

00:47 Along with this we also have our paranasal sinuses.

00:51 There are four sets of paranasal sinuses found in the bones.

00:56 We have our maxillary which are under the eyes the frontal which are above the eyes the ethmoidal which are between the eyes and the sphenoidal which are behind the eyes.

01:07 The function of these sinuses is to drain mucus into the nasal cavity and also serve as resonating chambers for sound.

01:16 So if you've ever had a sinus infection, you might notice that your voice sounds a little different as well.

01:22 This is for the same reason because it's all a part of this chamber that allows for air and sound to come out.

01:30 The third structure of the upper respiratory system is the pharynx.

01:34 We call this the throat.

01:37 The pharynx is divided into three different sections, the nasopharynx, which is the part behind the nasal cavity, the oral pharynx, which is the part behind the oral cavity and the laryngopharynx, the part that is going to be connected to the larynx.

01:53 The pharynx serves as a passageway for air and also a resonating chamber for sound and also has some immune functions such as the tonsils.

02:06 Now, let's move to the lower respiratory tract.

02:10 The lower respiratory tract has four main components.

02:14 We have the larynx, the trachea, the bronchi and branches, and the lungs and the alveoli.