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Glycoproteins Called Mucin: Desiccation

Cartilage supports the trachea and bronchi to prevent their collapse during breathing. Smooth muscle controls airflow by constricting the bronchioles. Elastic fibers help open bronchioles during exhalation and recoil during inhalation. Goblet cells and ciliated epithelium warm, moisten, and clean the air by trapping particles in mucus and transporting it upwards via cilia. Gas exchange occurs efficiently in alveoli due to their thin walls, large surface area, and proximity to capillaries.

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19 views

Glycoproteins Called Mucin: Desiccation

Cartilage supports the trachea and bronchi to prevent their collapse during breathing. Smooth muscle controls airflow by constricting the bronchioles. Elastic fibers help open bronchioles during exhalation and recoil during inhalation. Goblet cells and ciliated epithelium warm, moisten, and clean the air by trapping particles in mucus and transporting it upwards via cilia. Gas exchange occurs efficiently in alveoli due to their thin walls, large surface area, and proximity to capillaries.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Functions of Tissues within the Gas Exchange System

1. Cartilage:
- It is a rigid but flexible supporting material whose incomplete rings support the smooth
muscle of these tubes (trachea / bronchi), keeping them in an open position. This
prevents them from collapsing when the air pressure inside them is lowered during
inspiration.
2. Smooth Muscle:
- It is a tissue capable of contraction but which is not under voluntary control. Although
found in the trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles, you may be surprised to find they only
have their effect in the bronchioles. As bronchioles are not supported by cartilage,
contraction of the rings of smooth muscle around them causes the bronchioles to
constrict. In this way the flow of air to and from the alveoli is controlled.
3. Elastic Fibres:
- They are flexible fibres found in the connective tissues that recoil if stretched. They
help to open up the lumen of the bronchioles when smooth muscle contracts by
stretching. They recoil when the muscle relaxes and therefore control the airflow into
the alveoli.
- Their stretching in the alveoli helps to increase the surface area for gas exchange and
their recoil helps force air out during expiration.
4. Goblet cells:
- They are part of the epithelium of the trachea and bronchi and produce mucus that
forms a thin layer over the whole inner surface of these structures. Mucus acts as a
barrier preventing pathogens entering cells and contains glycoproteins called mucin
(with many carbohydrate chains which makes them sticky).
This protein makes the mucus sticky and so bacteria, pollen and other dust
particles cling to it.
- White blood cells called macrophages migrate from blood vessels and engulf bacteria
and other particles trapped in the mucus. In this way the risk of lung infections is
reduced.
Ciliated
Epithelium:
5.
- It is a thin layer of epithelial cells that have hair-like structures on their surfaces. The
cilia move in a synchronised manner and so transport mucus which surrounds them
upwards towards the pharynx where it is then swallowed. The acid in the stomach kills
any bacteria not consumed by the macrophages.

Warming and Cleaning the Air


As air flows through the nose and trachea it is warmed and moistened by evaporation from the
lining. This prevents desiccation (drying) and makes sure that less water and heat is lost.
Particles in the air such as dust, sand , pollen fungal spores bacteria and viruses are potential
threats the functioning of the lungs. Mucus and cilia combat these threats as outlined above.

- Particles larger the 5-10 m are trapped by caught by the hairs inside the nose and the
mucus lining the nasal passages and airways.
- Some chemical pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide can dissolve in the
mucus to form an acidic solution that irritates the lining of the airways.
Alveoli
Alveoli are hollow sacks lined with squamous epithelium (one-cell thick). The elastic fibres in
their walls allow them to expand according to the volume of air breathed in.
Each adult human lung has about 300 million of them.
Pressed against their walls are blood capillaries also with very thin single-celled walls.
Diffusion of gases between the alveoli was and the blood is very rapid and efficient because:
1. The walls of both alveoli and capillaries are very thin and therefore, the distance over which
diffusion takes place is very short.
2. Alveoli and pulmonary capillaries are numerous and have large surface area.
3. Red blood cells are slowed as they pass through the pulmonary capillaries, allowing more
time for diffusion.
4. The distance between the alveolar air and red blood cells is reduces as red blood cells are
flattened against the capillary walls.
5. Breathing movements constantly ventilate the lungs and the heart constantly circulates
blood around alveoli. This insures that a steep concentration gradient of the gases involved
in gas exchange is maintained.

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