Acute bronchitisAcute bronchitis, also known as a chest cold, is short-term bronchitis – inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) of the lungs. The most common symptom is a cough. Other symptoms include coughing up mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, fever, and chest discomfort. The infection may last from a few to ten days. The cough may persist for several weeks afterward with the total duration of symptoms usually around three weeks.
Common coldCommon viral infection of the upper respiratory tractMedical conditionThe common cold, or simply a cold, is a viralinfectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the respiratory mucosa of the nose, throat, sinuses, and larynx. Signs and symptoms may appear in as little as two days after exposure to the virus. These may include coughing, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing, headache, fatigue, and fever.
PharyngitisPharyngitis is inflammation of the back of the throat, known as the pharynx. It typically results in a sore throat and fever. Other symptoms may include a runny nose, cough, headache, difficulty swallowing, swollen lymph nodes, and a hoarse voice. Symptoms usually last 3–5 days, but can be longer depending on cause. Complications can include sinusitis and acute otitis media. Pharyngitis is a type of upper respiratory tract infection.
Pulmonary alveolusA pulmonary alveolus (pl.alveoli; from Latin'little cavity'), also called an air sac or air space, is one of millions of hollow, distensible cup-shaped cavities in the lungs where pulmonary gas exchange takes place. Oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide at the blood–air barrier between the alveolar air and the pulmonary capillary. Alveoli make up the functional tissue of the mammalian lungs known as the lung parenchyma, which takes up 90 percent of the total lung volume.
Respiratory tractThe respiratory tract is the subdivision of the respiratory system involved with the process of conducting air to the alveoli for the purposes of gas exchange in mammals. The respiratory tract is lined with respiratory epithelium as respiratory mucosa. Air is breathed in through the nose to the nasal cavity, where a layer of nasal mucosa acts as a filter and traps pollutants and other harmful substances found in the air.
PathologyPathology is the study of disease. The word pathology also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices.
BreathingBreathing (respiring or ventilating) is the rhythmic process of inhaling air into the lungs providing oxygen, and exhaling the air removing carbon dioxide, in the gas exchange process. All aerobic organisms require oxygen for cellular respiration, which extracts energy from food and produces carbon dioxide as a waste product.TracheaThe trachea (pl.: tracheae or tracheas), also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all landvertebrateanimals' lungs. The trachea extends from the larynx and branches into the two primary bronchi. At the top of the trachea, the cricoid cartilage attaches it to the larynx.
BronchioleThe bronchioles ( ) are the smaller branches of the bronchial airways in the lower respiratory tract. They include the terminal bronchioles, and finally the respiratory bronchioles that mark the start of the respiratory zone delivering air to the gas exchanging units of the alveoli. The bronchioles no longer contain the cartilage that is found in the bronchi, or glands in their submucosa. StructureThe pulmonary lobule is the portion of the lung ventilated by one bronchiole.
Muscles of respirationThe muscles of respiration are the muscles that contribute to inhalation and exhalation, by aiding in the expansion and contraction of the thoracic cavity. The diaphragm and, to a lesser extent, the intercostal muscles drive respiration during quiet breathing. The elasticity of these muscles is crucial to the health of the respiratory system and to maximize its functional capabilities. DiaphragmThe diaphragm is the major muscle responsible for breathing.
Gas exchangeProcess by which gases diffuse through a biological membrane Part of a series onContinuum mechanics J = − D d φ d x {\displaystyle J=-D{\frac {d\varphi }{dx}}} Fick's laws of diffusion Laws Conservations Mass Momentum Energy Inequalities Clausius–Duhem (entropy) Solid mechanics Deformation Elasticity linear Plasticity Hooke's law Stress Strain Finite strain Infinitesimal strain Compatibility Bending Contact mechanics frictional Material failure theory Fracture mechanics Fluid mechanics Fluids Statics · Dynamics Archimedes' principle · Bernoulli's principle Navier–Stokes equations Poiseuille equation · Pascal's law Viscosity (Newtonian · non-Newtonian) Buoyancy · Mixing · Pressure Liquids Adhesion Capillary action Chromatography Cohesion (chemistry) Surface tension Gases Atmosphere Boyle's law Charles's law Combined gas law Fick's law Gay-Lussac's law Graham's law Plasma Magnetohydrodynamics Rheology Viscoelasticity Rheometry Rheometer Smart fluids Electrorheological Magnetorheological Ferrofluids Scientists Bernoulli Boyle Cauchy Charles Euler Fick Gay-Lussac Graham Hooke Newton Navier Noll Pascal Stokes Truesdell vte Gas exchange is the physiological process by which gases move passively by diffusion across a surface.
Pleural cavityThe pleural cavity, or pleural space (or sometimes intrapleural space), is the potential space between the pleurae of the pleural sac that surrounds each lung. A small amount of serous pleural fluid is maintained in the pleural cavity to enable lubrication between the membranes, and also to create a pressure gradient.PleuraThe pleurae (sing.: pleura) are two flattened sacs filled with fluid that surround each lung. Each pleura - left and right - is a serous membrane that separates the corresponding lung from the chest wall, the diaphragm and the mediastinum. Although wrapped onto the lung resulting in a double layer, each pleural membrane is a single, continuous structure. The part of each pleura that covers the surface of the lung is the visceral pleura.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.