FISDAP Airway Exam Questions and
Answers Already Passed
From the atmosphere, what structures does air pass through during ventilation? ✔✔Starts in
atmosphere, then nose, nasopharyngeal space/orophargyneal space (if mouth breather), then
pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
What is the purpose of the nasal passages and nasopharynx? ✔✔To warm/humidify air as it
passes through
What is the difference between respiration and ventilation? ✔✔Respiration refers to the
exchange of gases in the alveoli, ventilation refers to the movement of air into the lungs.
Respiration is needed to provide O2 to cells and remove waste products. Also regulates pH of
blood.
What are the structures of the upper airway? ✔✔nose, mouth, tongue, jaw, pharynx and larynx
What structure is considered a landmark that divides the upper airway from lower? ✔✔The
larynx, anything above is upper. The larynx and below are lower.
,What are the structures of the lower airways? ✔✔larynx (includes adam's apple/thyroid cartilage,
cricothyroid membrane, cricoid cartilage), trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
Describe the anatomy of the larynx. ✔✔From superior to inferior. Thyroid cartilage, cricothyroid
membrane, and cricoid membrane. The thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage are anterior to the
larynx, and the cricothyroid membrane is posterior to both structures.
True or false: the lungs are completely equal in the midsaggital plane. ✔✔False, right lungs has
3 lobes, left lung only has 2 lobes. Together they have 5 total. Also, the right bronchi is inferior
to the left bronchi.
What are the structures of the lungs in order of ventilation? ✔✔bronchioles, and alveoli
True or false: the lungs use muscles found in the lateral lobes to expand and contract? ✔✔False:
the lungs are hollow organs and contain no muscles. When the diaphragm contracts it expands
the thoracic cavity. The pleural space has a negative pressure and the lungs expand. This results
in a slightly negative pressure (compared to the atmosphere) and air rushes in.
True or false: Air rushes into the lungs because of negative pressure. ✔✔True, when the lungs
expand, they are creating a vacuum because they are expanding the volume of the container. This
,increase in volume causes influx of air into the container until the pressure is equalized with the
atmosphere.
True or false: The parietal pleura lines the lungs and the visceral pleura lines the lungs. The
space between is called the anterior pleura. ✔✔False: the visceral pleura lines the lungs, the
parietal pleura lines the body cavity and the pleural space is the space in between both where
body fluid allows for both to smoothly glide.
What muscles are involved in inhalation? ✔✔The diaphragm, cervical muscles (neck),
intercostals, abdominal muscles, and pectoral muscles.
What muscles are involved in expiration? ✔✔none, expiration (if done passively) is achieved by
the relaxation of the diaphragm.
What is the primary driver of respiration? (Why would we increase/decrease RR?) ✔✔The CSF
in the brain has chemoreceptors sensitive to CO2. When there is too much CO2. The pH
changes. These sensors feed back to the medulla oblongata, which stimulates the phrenic nerve
which innervates the diaphragm. They cause an increase in activity of the diaphragm. This
increases the RR which causes us to increase tidal volume. This means more CO2 is exhaled.
And brings our pH back to normal.
, We also have the less sensitive hypoxic drive
What is hypoxic drive? ✔✔Backup system to control respiration. Chemoreceptors in brain,
aorta, and carotid arteries. But they are "satisfied" by a small amount of O2, which means it is
not as sensitive as pH control of CO2
What two areas of the brain are involved in respiration? ✔✔medulla-controls rhythm, initiates
inspiration, sets base pattern for respirations, and stimulates diaphragm to contract.
pons-changes depth of inspiration, expiration or both.
True or false: arteries bring oxygenated blood to organs/capillaries ✔✔True in most cases with
one exception. Arteries (away) bring blood away from the heart. Usually this is oxygenated
blood. But the pulmonary arteries bring oxygen poor blood away from the heart, to the lungs to
be oxygenated.
What is the tidal volume? ✔✔amount of air moved in/out of lungs in single breath. Usually 500
ml in adult
Answers Already Passed
From the atmosphere, what structures does air pass through during ventilation? ✔✔Starts in
atmosphere, then nose, nasopharyngeal space/orophargyneal space (if mouth breather), then
pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
What is the purpose of the nasal passages and nasopharynx? ✔✔To warm/humidify air as it
passes through
What is the difference between respiration and ventilation? ✔✔Respiration refers to the
exchange of gases in the alveoli, ventilation refers to the movement of air into the lungs.
Respiration is needed to provide O2 to cells and remove waste products. Also regulates pH of
blood.
What are the structures of the upper airway? ✔✔nose, mouth, tongue, jaw, pharynx and larynx
What structure is considered a landmark that divides the upper airway from lower? ✔✔The
larynx, anything above is upper. The larynx and below are lower.
,What are the structures of the lower airways? ✔✔larynx (includes adam's apple/thyroid cartilage,
cricothyroid membrane, cricoid cartilage), trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli
Describe the anatomy of the larynx. ✔✔From superior to inferior. Thyroid cartilage, cricothyroid
membrane, and cricoid membrane. The thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage are anterior to the
larynx, and the cricothyroid membrane is posterior to both structures.
True or false: the lungs are completely equal in the midsaggital plane. ✔✔False, right lungs has
3 lobes, left lung only has 2 lobes. Together they have 5 total. Also, the right bronchi is inferior
to the left bronchi.
What are the structures of the lungs in order of ventilation? ✔✔bronchioles, and alveoli
True or false: the lungs use muscles found in the lateral lobes to expand and contract? ✔✔False:
the lungs are hollow organs and contain no muscles. When the diaphragm contracts it expands
the thoracic cavity. The pleural space has a negative pressure and the lungs expand. This results
in a slightly negative pressure (compared to the atmosphere) and air rushes in.
True or false: Air rushes into the lungs because of negative pressure. ✔✔True, when the lungs
expand, they are creating a vacuum because they are expanding the volume of the container. This
,increase in volume causes influx of air into the container until the pressure is equalized with the
atmosphere.
True or false: The parietal pleura lines the lungs and the visceral pleura lines the lungs. The
space between is called the anterior pleura. ✔✔False: the visceral pleura lines the lungs, the
parietal pleura lines the body cavity and the pleural space is the space in between both where
body fluid allows for both to smoothly glide.
What muscles are involved in inhalation? ✔✔The diaphragm, cervical muscles (neck),
intercostals, abdominal muscles, and pectoral muscles.
What muscles are involved in expiration? ✔✔none, expiration (if done passively) is achieved by
the relaxation of the diaphragm.
What is the primary driver of respiration? (Why would we increase/decrease RR?) ✔✔The CSF
in the brain has chemoreceptors sensitive to CO2. When there is too much CO2. The pH
changes. These sensors feed back to the medulla oblongata, which stimulates the phrenic nerve
which innervates the diaphragm. They cause an increase in activity of the diaphragm. This
increases the RR which causes us to increase tidal volume. This means more CO2 is exhaled.
And brings our pH back to normal.
, We also have the less sensitive hypoxic drive
What is hypoxic drive? ✔✔Backup system to control respiration. Chemoreceptors in brain,
aorta, and carotid arteries. But they are "satisfied" by a small amount of O2, which means it is
not as sensitive as pH control of CO2
What two areas of the brain are involved in respiration? ✔✔medulla-controls rhythm, initiates
inspiration, sets base pattern for respirations, and stimulates diaphragm to contract.
pons-changes depth of inspiration, expiration or both.
True or false: arteries bring oxygenated blood to organs/capillaries ✔✔True in most cases with
one exception. Arteries (away) bring blood away from the heart. Usually this is oxygenated
blood. But the pulmonary arteries bring oxygen poor blood away from the heart, to the lungs to
be oxygenated.
What is the tidal volume? ✔✔amount of air moved in/out of lungs in single breath. Usually 500
ml in adult
