UPPER AIRWAY
• Describe the four major components and the primary functions
of the upper airway
o Consist of nose, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx
▪ Conductor of air
▪ Humidify and warm or cool inspired air
▪ Prevent foreign materials entering
tracheobronchial tree
▪ Important in speech and smell
• Describe the three primary functions of the nose
o Filter
o Humidify
o Warm or cool inspired air
• Nasal flaring and alar collapse
o Babies move a lot of air the nasals flare or collapse
• describe the upper airway and the pharynx
• pharynx divided into 3 parts:
o nasopharynx
o oropharynx
o laryngopharynx
• describe the function of the larynx
• larynx “the voice”- vestibule opening into the trachea from
pharynx
o a passageway of air between the pharynx and the
trachea
o serves as a protective mechanism against the
aspiration of solids and liquids
o generates sounds for speech
• croup syndrome
o primarily in kids; swollen trachea tissue below vocal
cords
▪ sound like a barking seal
• epithelium of conducting airways
o stratified squamous epithelium- found in anterior
portion of nasal cavity, oral cavity, oropharynx,
laryngopharynx
o pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium- lines
