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Pathophysiology Practice Test: Structure and Function of the Pulmonary System
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Avg score: 50% • Most missed: “Under most circumstances, increased work of breathing results in:”
The pulmonary system is made up of the upper and lower airways, the chest wall, and pulmonary circulation. Its main function is to exchange gases between the blood and the air in the environment.  Here are some structures of the pulmonary system: Trachea: A passageway for air to enter and exit the lungs, surrounded by cartilage rings Larynx: An organ that controls the access to the lungs as an air canal and produces sound by forcing air through the vocal cords Pharynx: A tube-like structure that connects the nasal cavity to the larynx and other structures in the throat, and allows air and... Show more
Pathophysiology Practice Test: Structure and Function of the Pulmonary System
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25 Questions

1. While auscultating a patient’s lungs, a nurse recalls the alveoli in the apices of the lungs are _____ than alveoli in the bases.
2. A nurse recalls the pleural membranes are examples of _____ membranes.
3. What nerve provides the lungs with parasympathetic innervation?
4. A patient involved in a motor vehicle accident experiences a severe head injury and dies as a result of the loss of respirations. The nurse suspects the area of the brain most likely damaged is the:
5. If an individual with respiratory difficulty were retaining too much carbon dioxide, which of the following compensatory responses would the nurse expect to be initiated?
6. Which of the following terms should the nurse use when there is a balance between outward recoil of the chest wall and inward recoil of lungs at rest?
7. After entering a room of chemical fog, a 20-year-old male cannot stop coughing. Which of the following structures are primarily responsible for his response?
8. During inspiration, muscular contraction of the diaphragm causes air to move into the lung. The mechanism that drives air movement during inspiration results in a(n):
9. Pulmonary function tests reveal that an 80-year-old dyspneic patient has an increase in residual volume. A nurse suspects the most likely cause of the increased residual volume is _____ in lung compliance.
10. Diffusion of respiratory gases takes place at the:
11. What physiology is present at the base of the lungs?
12. A newborn is in respiratory distress and requires ventilation. Tests reveal that he does not produce surfactant due to the absence of:
13. The nurse is describing the movement of blood into and out of the capillary beds of the lungs to the body organs and tissues. What term should the nurse use to describe this process?
14. The nurse is describing the receptors in the lung that decrease ventilatory rate and volume when stimulated. Which receptors is the nurse discussing?
15. One of the functions of the pulmonary system is the:
16. A nurse remembers the majority of total airway resistance occurs in the:
17. In a patient with acidosis, the nurse would expect the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve to shift:
18. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is mainly transported in the blood:
19. The nasopharynx is lined with a ciliated mucosal membrane with a highly vascular blood supply. One function of this membrane is to:
20. The nurse is describing the slit-shaped space between the true vocal cords. What term should the nurse use?
21. A patient is experiencing respiratory difficulty and retaining too much carbon dioxide. Which receptor sites would be stimulated in an attempt to maintain a normal homeostatic state?
22. Under most circumstances, increased work of breathing results in:
23. While reviewing the results of the pulmonary functions test, the nurse is aware that the maximum amount of gas that can be displaced (expired) from the lung is called:
24. Which structures may be found in the walls of the respiratory bronchi?
25. What is the partial pressure of oxygen in the lung given the following conditions?
Percentage of oxygen in air: 20
Barometric pressure: 700 mm Hg

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