| Respiratory System Infections |
Respiratory System
Infections
- The structures of the upper respiratory
system: pharynx, middle ears, sinuses, nasal
cavity, auditory tube opening.
- Function of the upper respiratory system
is to collect and filter air. Including
filtering of: pollens, microbes and other
contaminants in the air.
- Structures of the lower respiratory
system include: larynx, trachea, pleura,
bronchus, bronchiole.
- Auditory (eustachian tubes) from the
ears to the pharynx allow air pressure to
equalize.
- Tonsils or adenoids are aggregations of
lymphoid tissues and located near the
junction of the nasal cavity and pharynx.
Tonsils have cells and chemicals to fight
microbes.
- The lower respiratory system does not
normally have microorganism and is referred
to as axenic. The cilia, secretary
antibodies and phagocytic cells keep the
organs clear of contaminants.
- The upper regions of the pharynx is home
to several organisms including: some
relatively harmless Gram negative cocci,
diphtheroids, opportunistic Staphylococcus
and alpha-hemolytic streptococci including
Streptococcus pneumoniae. The latter is an
opportunistic pathogen and causes most cases
of pneumonia. The organisms that live in
the pharynx can lead to an infection of the
middle ears and sinuses.
- Bacterial diseases of the upper
respiratory system, sinuses and ears can be
caused by bacteria.
- Pneumonia is an inflammation of the
lungs the alveoli and bronchioles may become
fluid filled.
- Empyema the name of the condition if the
fluid filling a lung is pus.
- The most common infection of the upper
respiratory system is commonly called �the
common cold�. However the common cold is
not caused by a single virus but as many as
900 viruses can cause a cold.
- Flue virus structure and evolution
- Antigenic drift and antigenic shift
- Fungal infections.
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