Innervation
This nerve provides sensory innervation to the airway below the level of the vocal cords.
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN).
This muscle is of the airway is the only one that opens the rima glottidis.
Posterior Cricoarytenoid.
This circulatory system provides high-pressure, oxygenated blood to the conducting airways, supporting the metabolic needs of the lung tissue itself.
Bronchial Circulation.
This is the collective name for the volume of the conducting airways where no gas exchange occurs, typically averaging 150 mL in an adult.
Anatomic Dead Space.
Because this mainstem bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical (approx. 25-degree angle), it is the most common site for an accidental endobronchial intubation.
Right Mainstem Bronchus.
This specific branch of the Vagus nerve provides sensory innervation to the laryngeal mucosa above the vocal cords, including the epiglottis.
Internal branch of the Superior Laryngeal Nerve.
This laryngeal muscle acts by shortening and thickening the vocal cords.
Thyroarytenoid (Vocalis).
Bronchial arteries typically arise from this major vessel or its branches (such as the intercostal arteries).
Thoracic Aorta.
Beginning at generation 12-15, these airways are characterized by a lack of cartilage and a lack of submucosal glands, relying instead on "tethering“ to stay open.
Bronchioles
This specific part of the airway is the only complete cartilaginous ring in the entire respiratory tract.
Cricoid cartilage
This nerve serves as the efferent (motor) limb for the contraction of the pharyngeal constrictors.
Vagus Nerve (CN X).
Identify the three pharyngeal constrictors that overlap like and are responsible for the involuntary phase of deglutition.
Superior, Middle, and Inferior Pharyngeal Constrictors.
Most bronchial venous blood does not return to the right heart; instead, it drains here, creating a "normal" physiologic shunt.
Pulmonary Veins (or left atrium).
Transitioning from the conducting to the respiratory zone, these specific cells replace goblet cells and secrete a component of surfactant (Surface Active Agent).
Club cells (Clara cells)
During severe facial trauma, this type of airway management is often contraindicated due to the risk of intracranial entry via the cribriform plate.
Nasal Intubation
External pressure on this nerve, often from an over-inflated ETT cuff or a thyroidectomy, results in the paralyzation of all intrinsic laryngeal muscles except the cricothyroid.
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN).
While most pharyngeal muscles are innervated by the pharyngeal plexus (CN X), this muscle is the exception, innervated by the Mandibular branch of the Trigeminal Nerve (V3).
Tensor Veli Palatini.
Unlike the systemic circulation, the pulmonary circulation reacts to hypoxia with this specific vascular response to optimize V/Q matching. (Hint - it is mentioned in the IV Anesthetics lecture as something propofol does not inhibit)
Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction (HPV).
Gas moves through the conducting zone primarily via bulk flow, but in the respiratory zone, gas movement occurs almost exclusively via this process.
Diffusion
These cells, which make up only 10% of the alveolar surface area but 60% of the total alveolar cell count, are responsible for type I cell regeneration and surfactant production.
Type II Alveolar Epithelial Cells (Pneumocytes).
The "Laryngospasm Reflex" involves an afferent signal from this nerve and an efferent signal primarily traveling through these two specific nerves to cause glottic closure. **Bonus points for naming the muscles**
Internal branch of the SLN; Efferent: External branch of the SLN (cricothyroid) and RLN (lateral cricoarytenoids/thyroarytenoids).
This muscle makes up the lower portion of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor and must relax to allow an endoscope or ETT to enter the esophagus (though we prefer it doesn't!).
Cricopharyngeus muscle.
On the right side, bronchial veins typically drain into this vessel (1), whereas on the left, they often drain into this vessel (2).
1) Azygos vein; 2) Accessory hemiazygous vein
This is the specific generation (number) of the tracheobronchial tree where the Terminal Bronchioles end and the first Respiratory Bronchioles begin.
Generation 16 to 17.
During a thyroidectomy, damage to this nerve branch would result in the inability to "hit high notes" or tense the vocal cords, but the airway would remain patent.
External branch of the Superior Laryngeal Nerve.