Disorders of Respiratory system
Disorders of the respiratory system reduce the ability of the lungs to move air or exchange gases. This page covers the three respiratory disorders in the NCERT syllabus: asthma, emphysema and occupational respiratory disorders, with the part of the respiratory system each one affects, its cause and its main effect. It also links each disorder back to the structure and function of the airways and alveoli. NEET asks these disorders mainly in match-the-list and statement questions on cause, site and symptom.
- ★ Must learn Asthma: difficulty in breathing with wheezing, due to inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles.
- Asthma affects the conducting part of the respiratory system.
- ★ Must learn Emphysema: a chronic disorder in which alveolar walls are damaged, so the respiratory surface decreases.
- ★ Must learn A major cause of emphysema is cigarette smoking.
- Emphysema affects the exchange part (alveoli) of the respiratory system.
- ★ Must learn Occupational respiratory disorders: lung damage from long exposure to dust in industries such as grinding and stone-breaking.
- Dust overwhelms the body's defence, causing inflammation that leads to fibrosis.
- Fibrosis: proliferation of fibrous tissues, causing serious lung damage.
- Workers in such industries should wear protective masks.
1. Asthma
- ★ Exam imp Asthma: a difficulty in breathing that causes wheezing.
- Wheezing: a whistling sound produced while breathing through narrowed air passages.
- ★ Exam imp Cause: inflammation of the bronchi and bronchioles.
- Bronchi and bronchioles belong to the conducting part, so asthma hinders the movement of air to the alveoli.
Asthma: Airways inflamed, Air whistles. Inflamed bronchi and bronchioles narrow the air path, and air forced through them makes the wheezing sound.
★ Very important Asthma = inflammation of the bronchi and bronchioles, causing difficulty in breathing with wheezing.
2. Emphysema
- ★ Exam imp Emphysema: a chronic disorder in which the alveolar walls are damaged.
- Chronic: long-lasting and developing slowly.
- Damage to the alveolar walls decreases the respiratory surface available for gas exchange.
- ★ Exam imp One of the major causes of emphysema is cigarette smoking.
- Alveoli form the exchange part, so emphysema reduces the diffusion of and .
★ Very important Emphysema: chronic damage to alveolar walls, which reduces the respiratory surface; cigarette smoking is a major cause.
Asthma affects the Airways; Emphysema Erodes alveoli. Asthma: bronchi and bronchioles are inflamed. Emphysema: alveolar walls are damaged.
3. Occupational Respiratory Disorders
- Some industries, especially those involving grinding or stone-breaking, produce large amounts of dust.
- The defence mechanism of the body cannot fully cope with so much dust.
How the lungs are damaged:
- Long exposure to the dust.
- Inflammation of the lung tissue.
- Fibrosis: proliferation of fibrous tissues.
- Serious lung damage.
- ★ Exam imp Prevention: workers in such industries should wear protective masks.
Follow the chain Dust, Inflammation, Fibrosis, Lung damage (D-I-F-L). Each step causes the next, and a protective mask breaks the chain at the first step.
Extra Depth: Hypoxia is a condition in which the body tissues do not receive enough oxygen. It can occur at high altitudes, where the air has a low , and in lung disorders that reduce gas exchange.
Name two kinds of industries linked to occupational respiratory disorders.
Why does dust damage the lungs in these workers?
What does long exposure to the dust first cause?
What should these workers wear?
4. Comparing the Respiratory Disorders
| Feature | Asthma | Emphysema | Occupational respiratory disorders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part affected | Bronchi and bronchioles | Alveolar walls | Lung tissue |
| Main change | Inflammation | Damage to alveolar walls | Inflammation leading to fibrosis |
| Main effect | Difficulty in breathing with wheezing | Respiratory surface decreases | Serious lung damage |
| Nature or cause | Inflammation of the air passages | Chronic; cigarette smoking is a major cause | Long exposure to dust from grinding or stone-breaking |
Use the site to eliminate options. If an option mentions bronchi or bronchioles, think asthma; alveolar walls or respiratory surface, think emphysema; dust, grinding, stone-breaking or fibrosis, think occupational disorder.
Smoking spoils the sacs. Cigarette smoking is a major cause of emphysema, which damages the walls of the alveoli, the air sacs.
- Emphysema damages the alveolar walls and decreases the respiratory surface; inflamed bronchi and bronchioles point to asthma.
- Fibrosis means proliferation of fibrous tissue; it is the step between inflammation and serious lung damage.
- Wheezing is linked to asthma, not to emphysema.
Which disorder causes wheezing?
Which structures are inflamed in asthma?
What is a major cause of emphysema?
What is fibrosis?
5. Exam Essentials
Pairs to Match
| Disorder or term | Feature |
|---|---|
| Asthma | Wheezing |
| Asthma | Inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles |
| Emphysema | Damaged alveolar walls |
| Emphysema | Decreased respiratory surface |
| Cigarette smoking | Major cause of emphysema |
| Grinding and stone-breaking industries | Occupational respiratory disorders |
| Fibrosis | Proliferation of fibrous tissues |
| Protective masks | Prevention for exposed workers |
Exceptions
- Asthma inflames the bronchi and bronchioles, not the alveoli.
- Emphysema damages the alveolar walls; it decreases, not increases, the respiratory surface.
- In occupational disorders the body's defence mechanism works but cannot fully cope with so much dust.
Numbers to Remember
- 3 respiratory disorders: asthma, emphysema and occupational respiratory disorders.
- 4 steps in occupational lung damage: exposure, inflammation, fibrosis, lung damage.
6. Quick Revision
- Asthma: difficulty in breathing with wheezing.
- Asthma is caused by inflammation of the bronchi and bronchioles, which belong to the conducting part.
- Emphysema: chronic disorder with damaged alveolar walls.
- Emphysema decreases the respiratory surface, so less gas exchange occurs.
- Cigarette smoking is one of the major causes of emphysema.
- Occupational respiratory disorders arise in industries with grinding or stone-breaking.
- So much dust is produced that the body's defence mechanism cannot fully cope.
- Long exposure causes inflammation, which leads to fibrosis and serious lung damage.
- Fibrosis is the proliferation of fibrous tissues.
- Workers in dusty industries should wear protective masks.
7. Solved Examples
List I: A. Asthma, B. Emphysema, C. Fibrosis, D. Protective mask
List II: I. Proliferation of fibrous tissues, II. Inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles, III. Prevention of occupational disorders, IV. Damaged alveolar walls
Choose the correct answer:
(A) A-IV, B-II, C-I, D-III
(B) A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III
(C) A-II, B-IV, C-III, D-I
(D) A-II, B-I, C-IV, D-III
Answer: (B). Asthma inflames bronchi and bronchioles (II); emphysema damages alveolar walls (IV); fibrosis is proliferation of fibrous tissues (I); masks prevent occupational disorders (III).
A. Emphysema is a chronic disorder.
B. In emphysema the respiratory surface increases.
C. Cigarette smoking is a major cause of emphysema.
D. Asthma causes wheezing.
Choose the correct answer:
(A) A, B and C only
(B) B, C and D only
(C) A, C and D only
(D) A and D only
Answer: (C). B is wrong: damage to alveolar walls decreases the respiratory surface.
A. Fibrosis
B. Long exposure to dust
C. Serious lung damage
D. Inflammation
Choose the correct answer:
(A) B, A, D, C
(B) D, B, A, C
(C) B, D, C, A
(D) B, D, A, C
Answer: (D). Exposure leads to inflammation, then fibrosis, then serious lung damage.
(A) Damage to the alveolar walls
(B) Difficulty in breathing
(C) Wheezing
(D) Inflammation of the bronchioles
Answer: (A). Damage to the alveolar walls is emphysema. Asthma is inflammation of the bronchi and bronchioles with wheezing.
8. Practice Questions
- Match List I with List II.
List I: A. Wheezing, B. Damaged alveolar walls, C. Stone-breaking dust, D. Cigarette smoking
List II: I. Occupational respiratory disorder, II. Emphysema (cause), III. Asthma, IV. Emphysema (change)
Choose the correct answer:
(A) A-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II
(B) A-III, B-II, C-I, D-IV
(C) A-I, B-IV, C-III, D-II
(D) A-III, B-IV, C-I, D-IIAnswer: (D). Wheezing in asthma; alveolar damage is the change in emphysema; dust causes occupational disorders; smoking causes emphysema. - Asthma is caused by inflammation of the
(A) alveoli
(B) bronchi and bronchioles
(C) pleura
(D) diaphragmAnswer: (B). Asthma affects the bronchi and bronchioles. - Which of the following is NOT correct about occupational respiratory disorders?
(A) They occur in industries involving grinding or stone-breaking.
(B) Long exposure causes inflammation leading to fibrosis.
(C) The body's defence mechanism fully copes with the dust.
(D) Workers should wear protective masks.Answer: (C). The defence mechanism cannot fully cope with so much dust. - Statement I: Fibrosis is the proliferation of fibrous tissues.
Statement II: Emphysema increases the respiratory surface.
(A) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
(B) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
(C) Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct
(D) Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrectAnswer: (B). Emphysema decreases the respiratory surface. - Read the statements.
A. Asthma is linked to wheezing.
B. Emphysema damages bronchi only.
C. Protective masks help prevent occupational disorders.
D. Fibrosis leads to serious lung damage.
Choose the correct answer:
(A) A and B only
(B) B, C and D only
(C) A, C and D only
(D) A, B, C and DAnswer: (C). Emphysema damages alveolar walls. - Arrange the structures in the order inspired air reaches them.
A. Alveoli (damaged in emphysema)
B. Bronchioles (inflamed in asthma)
C. Trachea
D. Bronchi (inflamed in asthma)
Choose the correct answer:
(A) C, B, D, A
(B) C, D, B, A
(C) D, C, B, A
(D) C, D, A, BAnswer: (B). Trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, alveoli. - Have you heard about hypoxia? Gather information about it.Answer: Hypoxia is a condition in which the body tissues do not receive enough oxygen. It can occur at high altitudes, where the air has a low , and in lung disorders such as emphysema that reduce the respiratory surface.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Writing that asthma damages the alveolar walls. Asthma is inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles.
- Saying emphysema increases the respiratory surface. It decreases it.
- Linking wheezing to emphysema. Wheezing is the sign of asthma.
- Calling fibrosis a breakdown of tissue. Fibrosis is the proliferation of fibrous tissues.
- Forgetting the cause of emphysema: cigarette smoking is a major cause.
- Naming any dusty work. The industries named are those involving grinding or stone-breaking.
- Writing that the body's defences fully remove the dust. They cannot fully cope with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is asthma?
Asthma is a difficulty in breathing that causes wheezing. It is due to inflammation of the bronchi and bronchioles, the air passages that conduct air to the alveoli. The narrowed, inflamed passages make it harder to move air in and out of the lungs.
What causes wheezing in asthma?
Wheezing is a whistling sound made while breathing. In asthma, the bronchi and bronchioles are inflamed, so air has to pass through narrowed passages. This makes breathing difficult and noisy, which is why wheezing is the typical sign of asthma.
What is emphysema?
Emphysema is a chronic disorder in which the walls of the alveoli are damaged. As a result, the respiratory surface available for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide decreases. One of the major causes of emphysema is cigarette smoking.
How does emphysema affect gas exchange?
Gas exchange takes place across the walls of the alveoli. In emphysema these walls are damaged, so the total respiratory surface becomes smaller. Less oxygen can diffuse into the blood and less carbon dioxide can leave it, even when air reaches the lungs.
What are occupational respiratory disorders?
They are lung disorders caused by working in industries, especially those involving grinding or stone-breaking, that produce large amounts of dust. The body's defence mechanism cannot fully cope with the dust. Long exposure causes inflammation, then fibrosis, and finally serious lung damage.
What is fibrosis of the lungs?
Fibrosis is the proliferation of fibrous tissues in the lungs. In occupational respiratory disorders it follows long-term inflammation caused by dust. The extra fibrous tissue causes serious lung damage, which is why prevention with protective masks matters.
How can occupational respiratory disorders be prevented?
Workers in industries that involve grinding or stone-breaking should wear protective masks. Masks reduce the amount of dust that is breathed in, so the body's defence mechanism is not overwhelmed and the chain of inflammation and fibrosis does not start.
Which respiratory disorders are in the NCERT syllabus for NEET?
Three disorders are covered: asthma (inflammation of bronchi and bronchioles with wheezing), emphysema (chronic damage to alveolar walls, often due to cigarette smoking) and occupational respiratory disorders (dust from grinding or stone-breaking causing inflammation, fibrosis and lung damage).
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