HUBS1404 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Parasympathetic Nervous System, Airway Resistance, Vagus Nerve
Document Summary
Lecture 11: innervation of the lungs and control of. In most of the tracheobronchal tree it changes between laminar and turbulent: when airflow is turbulent you have to apply more pressure to move it. All of the terminal bronchioles are surrounded by a ring of smooth muscles: contracting the smooth muscle decreases the size of the lumen of the bronchiole. Airway smooth muscle has receptors for a number of hormones, neurotransmitters and other chemicals. Some of these can cause the muscle to contract. Branch of the vagus nerve goes into the lungs - parasympathetic neurons are in the trachea - collect information and send it to the periphery. Sympathetic innervation of the airways: there is no actual sympathetic neuronic innervation of the lungs. Circulating adrenaline can relax airway smooth muscle: airway smooth muscle has adrenergic receptors, when adrenaline binds to these receptors, the smooth muscle relaxes, this forms the basis of many pharmacological asthma treatments.