News tagged with respiratory tract
Stealthy leprosy pathogen evades critical vitamin D-dependent immune response
A team of UCLA scientists has found that the pathogen that causes leprosy has a remarkable ability to avoid the human immune system by inhibiting the antimicrobial responses important to our defenses.
Immunology
Jan 29, 2012 |
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Earliest known evidence of 1918 influenza pandemic found
Examination of lung tissue and other autopsy material from 68 American soldiers who died of respiratory infections in 1918 has revealed that the influenza virus that eventually killed 50 million people worldwide was circulating ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Sep 19, 2011 |
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New bird flu strain seen adapting to mammals, humans
A genetic analysis of the avian flu virus responsible for at least nine human deaths in China portrays a virus evolving to adapt to human cells, raising concern about its potential to spark a new global flu pandemic.
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Apr 12, 2013 |
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Researchers spot molecular control switch for preterm lung disorders
(Medical Xpress)—Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have made major discoveries that could lead to new treatments for lung disorders in premature babies. In a mouse study, the team located key molecules ...
Medical research
Mar 20, 2013 |
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European trial confirms commonly prescribed antibiotic ineffective for treating cough
The antibiotic amoxicillin, that doctors typically prescribe for common lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) such as cough and bronchitis, is no more effective at relieving symptoms than the use of no medication, even ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Dec 18, 2012 |
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Infants with severe RSV disease may be immunosuppressed
Infants with severe lower respiratory tract infection caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) may have a dysfunctional innate immune response that relates to the severity of their disease. These are the findings from ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Dec 10, 2012 |
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Study finds association between rare neuromuscular disorder and loss of smell
Changes in the ability to smell and taste can be caused by a simple cold or upper respiratory tract infection, but they may also be among the first signs of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's ...
Neuroscience
Oct 17, 2012 |
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Bitter taste receptors regulate the upper respiratory defense system, research shows
A new study from a team of researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Monell Chemical Senses Center, and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, reveals that a person's ability to taste ...
Medical research
Oct 08, 2012 |
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Vitamin D supplementation does not reduce rate or severity of colds, study finds
Although some data have suggested a possible inverse association between serum vitamin D levels and the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (colds), participants in a randomized controlled trial who received a ...
Health
Oct 02, 2012 |
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Honey a sweet treatment for kids' night-time cough
(HealthDay) -- Instead of reaching for a commercial medicine when your child is coughing through the night because of a common cold, Israeli researchers suggest giving honey a try.
Pediatrics
Aug 06, 2012 |
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What did we learn from the 2010 California whooping cough epidemic?
Because whooping cough (pertussis) is almost as contagious as measles (affecting ~12-17 individuals with each case), clinicians are required to report cases of this bacterial respiratory tract infection to the state's department ...
Pediatrics
Jul 19, 2012 |
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Study reveals flu-fighting role for well-known immune component
University of Georgia scientists have discovered a new flu-fighting role for a well-known component of the immune system. Kimberly Klonowski, assistant professor of cellular biology in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and ...
Medical research
Jun 26, 2012 |
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Cystic fibrosis breakthrough reveals why females fare worse than males
(Medical Xpress) -- Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-threatening inherited disease in Ireland with the highest incidence of this disease globally seen on this island. Females with CF have a poorer outcome as a ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Jun 08, 2012 |
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Parallel evolution - cystic fibrosis
(Medical Xpress) -- Researchers at the University of Liverpool are examining the evolution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa over time in the lungs of ten people with cystic fibrosis to understand why it persists ...
Medical research
Mar 06, 2012 |
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Scientists identify gene crucial to normal development of lungs and brain
Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a gene that tells cells to develop multiple cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move fluids through the lungs and brain. The finding ...
Medical research
Jan 12, 2012 |
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Respiratory tract
In humans the respiratory tract is the part of the anatomy that has to do with the process of respiration.
The respiratory tract is divided into 3 segments:
The respiratory tract is a common site for infections. Upper respiratory tract infections are probably the most common infections in the world.
Most of the respiratory tract exists merely as a piping system for air to travel in the lungs; alveoli are the only part of the lung that exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide with the blood.
Moving down the respiratory tract starting at the trachea, the tubes get smaller and divide more and more. There are estimated to be about 20 to 23 divisions, ending up at an alveolus.
Even though the cross-sectional area of each bronchus or bronchiole is smaller, because there are so many, the total surface area is larger. This means there is less resistance at the terminal bronchioles. (Most resistance is around the 3-4 division from the trachea due to turbulence.)
For more information about Respiratory tract, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
