DOL Reading Understanding the Lower Respiratory Tract

What is the primary function of the lower respiratory tract?

• Transport of blood to the heart

• Filtration of blood

• Digestion of food

• Transport of air to the lungs and exchange of gases

Which structure is commonly known as the windpipe?

• Esophagus

• Alveoli

• Bronchi

• Trachea

What are the tiny structures at the ends of the bronchioles called?

• Capillaries

• Cartilage rings

• Alveolar sacs

• Cilia

How many lobes does the right lung have?

• Five

• Four

• Three

• Two

What is the role of the diaphragm in breathing?

• Filters the air

• Contracts to increase thoracic volume and inflates the lungs

• Transports oxygen to the blood

• Produces mucus

What substance from cigarette smoking causes the lungs to turn black over time?

• Carbon monoxide

• Nicotine

• Alcohol

• Tar

What condition is commonly associated with prolonged exposure to flour dust?

• Asthma

• Baker's lung

• Pneumonia

• Bronchitis

What does the trachea bifurcate into?

• Right and left mainstem bronchus

• Right and left atrium

• Superior and inferior vena cava

• Alveoli and capillaries

What encases the alveoli?

• A network of capillaries

• A layer of mucus

• Pleural fluid

• C-shaped rings of cartilage

What is the function of the pleural cavity?

• To produce blood cells

• To filter air

• To reduce friction during respiration

• To transport oxygen