Question 1

Which of the following best describes the primary function of the alveoli in the lungs?

Accepted Answer

To serve as the main site for gas exchange between air and blood

Question 2

A patient with a deviated septum is most likely to experience which of the following symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Obstructed airflow through one nasal cavity, leading to breathing difficulties

Question 3

Which structure prevents food from entering the larynx during swallowing?

Accepted Answer

Epiglottis

Question 4

A 2-year-old child presents with a barking cough and inspiratory stridor. Which condition is most likely?

Accepted Answer

Croup

Question 5

Which of the following best explains why the right primary bronchus is more likely to receive aspirated objects than the left?

Accepted Answer

It is shorter, wider, and more vertical

Question 6

Which of the following is the correct formula for calculating vital capacity (VC)?

Accepted Answer

$$VC = TV + IRV + ERV$$

Question 7

During forceful expiration, which muscles are primarily responsible for decreasing the size of the thoracic cavity?

Accepted Answer

Internal intercostals and abdominal muscles

Question 8

A patient with a pneumothorax will most likely experience which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Air in the pleural space causing lung collapse

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the role of surfactant in the alveoli?

Accepted Answer

It decreases surface tension, preventing alveolar collapse

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a function of the respiratory mucosa?

Accepted Answer

Producing surfactant to reduce surface tension

Question 11

A patient with chronic bronchitis is most likely to experience which of the following symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Persistent productive cough and airway obstruction

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the movement of gases during external respiration?

Accepted Answer

Oxygen moves from alveoli into capillary blood; carbon dioxide moves from capillary blood into alveoli

Question 13

Which of the following is the most common way carbon dioxide is transported in the blood?

Accepted Answer

As bicarbonate ions ($$HCO_3$$^-$$)

Question 14

Which of the following best explains why a person with laryngeal cancer may require an artificial larynx for speech?

Accepted Answer

The vocal cords are removed, eliminating the ability to produce sound

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the effect of the abdominal thrust maneuver (Heimlich maneuver) during choking?

Accepted Answer

It forces air out of the lungs, increasing pressure to expel the object from the airway

Question 16

Which of the following is a characteristic of Cheyne-Stokes respiration?

Accepted Answer

Cycles of alternating apnea and hyperventilation

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the role of the medullary rhythmicity area in the brainstem?

Accepted Answer

It produces the normal rate and depth of respirations under resting conditions

Question 18

A patient with infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS) is most likely to have which of the following abnormalities?

Accepted Answer

Lack of surfactant production in the alveoli

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why air moves into the lungs during inspiration?

Accepted Answer

Thoracic volume increases, decreasing lung pressure below atmospheric pressure

Question 20

Which of the following is the correct sequence of airflow through the respiratory tract during inspiration?

Accepted Answer

Nose → Pharynx → Larynx → Trachea → Bronchi → Bronchioles → Alveoli

The Respiratory System: Structure, Function, and Clinical Considerations

Study Guide - Practice Questions