Anatomy
This muscular structure separates the thoracic and abdominal cavities and serves as the primary muscle of respiration.
What is the diaphragm?
Secreted by type II alveolar epithelial cells, this substance reduces alveolar surface tension and increases lung compliance.
What is surfactant?
Cough, wheeze, chest tightness and shortness of breath make up the classic clinical picture of this condition.
What is asthma?
In this airway defence mechanism, cilia propel trapped particles and mucus toward the pharynx for removal.
What is the mucociliary escalator?
These muscles elevate the ribs during inspiration, while their internal counterparts depress the ribs during expiration.
What are the external intercostal muscles?
Parasympathetic nerves release this neurotransmitter, which activates M3 receptors and causes bronchoconstriction.
What is acetylcholine?
On gross examination, lungs affected by severe asthma commonly show these two features.
What are hyperinflation and mucus plugs?
During infection, this antibody promotes opsonisation and neutralises toxins.
What is IgG?
Remembered by “C3, 4, and 5 keep the diaphragm alive,” these nerves provide its motor innervation.
What are the phrenic nerves?
During this protective reflex, the glottis closes after rapid inspiration before expiratory muscles generate high pressure.
What is the cough reflex?
In fatal asthma, extreme obstruction of the airways causes this life-threatening lack of tissue oxygen.
What is hypoxia?
The pharyngeal, tubal, palatine and lingual tonsils collectively form this ring of lymphoid tissue.
What is Waldeyer’s ring?
This vein arches over the root of the right lung before emptying into the superior vena cava.
What is the azygos vein?
A decreased FEV₁ and decreased FEV₁/FVC ratio, with relatively unchanged FVC, indicate this category of lung disorder.
What is an obstructive disorder?
Airway remodelling in asthma includes goblet-cell hyperplasia, a thickened basement membrane, increased smooth muscle and enlargement of these mucus-producing structures.
What are the submucosal glands?
Types I and III of these signalling proteins induce an antiviral state in neighbouring cells, limiting viral replication.
What are interferons?
Lung lymph passes through hilar nodes, then these nodes located around the tracheal bifurcation.
What are the tracheobronchial nodes?
Nitric oxide and vasoactive intestinal peptide belong to this nerve pathway that produces bronchodilation without using adrenaline or acetylcholine.
What is the inhibitory non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic pathway?
Numerous eosinophils join Curschmann spirals and these crystals in the classic microscopic appearance of asthmatic sputum.
What are Charcot-Leyden crystals?
Following a breach by a pathogen, the immune response releases interferons, chemokines and these three major pro-inflammatory cytokines.
What are IL-1, IL-6 and TNF?