Respiratory physiology course
respiratory physiology
(BLOCK)
Learning Objectives.
Lecture 1: Functions and Organization of the Respiratory System
By the end of this lecture the Students should be able to:-
1- Understand the difference between internal and external respiration.
2- Describe the structures and functions of the conductive and respiratory zones.
3- Understand functions of the respiratory system, including non- respiratory functions, like clearance mechanism by mucus and cilia, production of surfactant and converting enzyme.
Lecture 2: Mechanics of breathing
By the end of this lecture the students should be able to:
1- List the muscles of respiration and describe their roles during inspiration and expiration.
2- Understand the importance of the following pressures in respiration:
Atmospheric, alveolar, intrapleural, and transpulmonary
3- Explain why intrapleural pressure is always subatmospheric under normal conditions, and the
significance of the thin layer of the intrapleural fluid surrounding the lung.
4- Describe pneumothorax.
5- Describe the pressure and volume relationships in a single respiratory cycle.
6- Define lung compliance and list the determinants of compliance.
7- Describe the physiological significance of surfactant and provide an example of abnormal
lung function due to a deficiency of surfactant.
Lecture 3: Respiratory ventilation-1
By the end of these lectures the students should be able to: -
1-Define the various Lung Volumes and capacities and provide typical values for each.
2-Define ventilation rate, their typical values, and their measurement.
3- Describe FEV1.o and its role in differentiating obstructive and restrictive lung diseases
Lecture 4: Respiratory ventilation-2
By the end of these lectures the students should be able to: -
1- Understand air movement and airway resistance:
Definition, determinants, role of autonomic nervous system and mechanical factors
2- Describe the types of dead space. State a volume for the anatomical dead space.
3- Define the term minute ventilation and state a typical value.
4- Distinguish minute ventilation from alveolar ventilation.
5-Understand the work of breathing
Lecture 5: Gas Transfer
By the end of this lecture the students should able to: -
1-Define partial pressure of a gas. Describe how partial pressure of a gas is influenced by
altitude.
2- Understand that the pressure exerted by each gas in a mixture of gases is independent of the pressure exerted by the other gases (Dalton's Law)
3- Understand that gases in a liquid diffuse from higher partial pressure to lower partial pressure (Henry’s Law)
4- Describe the factors that determine the concentration of a gas in a liquid.
5- Describe the components of the alveolar-capillary membrane (i.e., what does a molecule of gas pass through).
6- Knew the various factors determining gas transfer: -
Surface area, thickness, partial pressure difference, and diffusion coefficient of gas
7- State the partial pressures of oxygen and Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, alveolar gas, at
the end of the pulmonary capillary, in systemic capillaries, and at the beginning of a pulmonary
capillary.
Lecture 6: Oxygen and Carbon dioxide Transport
By the end of this lecture the students should be able to: -
1- Understand the forms of oxygen transport in the blood, the importance of each form and,
2- Describe: -
a- The relationship between PO2 and % saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen (Oxygen- hemoglobin dissociation curve), and the significance of the shape of this relationship
b- How DPG, temperature, H+ ions and PCO2 affect affinity of O2 for Hemoglobin and the physiological importance of these effects.
3- Differentiate between O2 capacity, O2 content and O2 saturation.
4- Define the P50 and its significance.
5- Know the significance of fetal Hb and adult myoglobin.
6-Describe the three forms of Carbon dioxide that are transported in the blood, and the chloride shift.
7- Describe the role of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, and the CO2 dissociation curve.
8- Describe how H+ is transported in the blood.
9- Define respiratory acidosis and respiratory alkalosis, and explain how these are related to
hypoventilation and hyperventilation respectively.
10- Enumerate the differences between the dissociation curves for O2 andCO2.
Lecture 7: Control of breathing
By the end of this lecture the students should be able to: -
- Understand the role of the medulla oblongata in determining the basic pattern of respiratory activity.
- Describe the pacemaker activity of the medullary inspiratory neurons.
- List some factors that can modify the basic breathing pattern like e.g.
- The Hering-Breuer reflexes, b- The proprioreceptor reflexes, and c- The protective reflexes, like the irritant, and the J-receptors.
- Understand the respiratory consequences of changing PO2, PCO2, and pH.
5- Describe the locations and roles of the peripheral and central chemoreceptors.
6- Compare and contrast metabolic and respiratory acidosis and metabolic and respiratory
alkalosis.
Lectures 8 : Alveolar - Arterial equilibration-1
By the end of this lecture the students should be able to:-
1-Define hypoxia and list its various physiological and pathological causes.
2-Define hypo and hyper-ventilation in terms of arterial PCO2 and PO2.
3- Define cyanosis.
4-Understand regional variations in alveolar ventilation and blood flow.
Lectures 9 : Alveolar - Arterial equilibration-2
By the end of this lecture the students should be able to:-
1- List causes of abnormal ventilation/perfusion (V͎/Q) ratios.
2- Understand the normal matching of ventilation and perfusion , the mechanisms causing ventilation- perfusion inequality and an appreciation of its clinical significance.
3- Explain the clinical significance of changes in anatomical and physiological dead space.
4- Explain the effects of ventilation- perfusion inequality on oxygen transfere and carbon dioxide elimination.
Lecture 10: Effects of low and high gas pressure on the body
By the end of this lecture the students should be able to: -
1-Describe the effects of exposure to low and high barometric pressures on the body.
2- Describe the body acclimatization to low barometric pressure.
3-Define decompression sickness and explain how it can be avoided.
4-Understand the effects of high nitrogen pressure, and nitrogen narcosis.
Lecture 11: Effects of exercise on the respiratory system.
By the end of this lecture the students should be able to: -
1-Understand the difference between dynamic and isometric exercise.
1- Describe the effects of moderate and severe exercise on oxygen consumption, and ventilation volumes.
2-Describe the effects of exercise on arterial PO2, PCO2 and H+ ions.
3- Define the diffusing capacity of the respiratory membrane, and its typical values at rest, and explain its changes in exercise.
4-Explain causes of hyperventilation in exercise.
.Lecture 12: Parameters for measuring work capacity.
By the end of this lecture the students should be able to: -
1-Know aerobic and anaerobic energy sources.
2-Understand the relationship between exercise intensity and energy sources.
3-Know energy expenditure at rest and during exercise.
4-Understand the factors determining aerobic fitness.
5-Understand the other major components of physical fitness
6-Know how to measure total body fat and lean body mass.
7-Define oxygen debt, and oxygen deficit, and explain how they differ between athletes and non-athletes.