Department of Health & Human Services

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND SMOKING
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ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF RESPIRATORY
SYSTEM
 The respiratory system comprises of larynx, nasal cavity, pharynx, ,
trachea, bronchi, and lungs.
-upper respiratory tract from Nose to Larynx
- and lower respiratory tract (bronchi, trachea, and
Lungs).
 Upper respiratory tract includes larynx and it consists of both the
upper and lower system.
 It also contains nasal cavity, pharynx.
 Lower respiratory tracts contains trachea which is the largest duct in
the respiratory tract. In this, bronchi and bronchioles are present.
 These bronchioles creates air sacs that is alveoli.

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF RESPIRATORY
SYSTEM
 Alveoli are tiny pouches
found in lungs where gas
exchange occurs.
 Next, lungs are the largest
organ of lower respiratory
tract. A thin membrane
called pleura covers the
lungs.

PROCESS OF BREATHING(RESPIRATION)
 The rhythmic process of
breathing that is gas exchange
is known as respiration.
 Respiration is of two
processes-
1. External respiration
2. Internal respiration
1. External respiration is the
uptake of oxygen and
excretion of carbon-di-oxide
between the blood and lungs
2. 2. Internal respiration
denotes the O2 & CO2
exchange between the cells
and capillary blood.
Source- researchgate.net

MECHANISM OF BREATHING
 The key mechanism
involved in this process
involves inspiration,
contraction and
expiration.
 Inspiration is a procedure
which occurs because of
contraction of inspiratory
muscle.
 Expiration happens due to
elastic lung recoil.
Source- researchgate.net

EFFECTS OF SMOKING OR E-CIGARETTES
VAPOR ON GAS EXCHANGE IN LUNGS
 Inhalation of e-cigarettes produce harmful chemicals involve
acrolein, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde. These aldehyde causes
lung diseases along with cardiovascular disease.
 Inhalation of smoking that contains toxins disrupts the thin walls of
alveoli. It causes the sacs larger and less efficient in functioning.
The pouch also starts losing recoiling ability. Thus, it creates
tougher to carry the oxygen and expel carbon-di-oxide.
 The vapor of e-cigarette has negative effect on lung surfactant
function. It is a combination of proteins and lipids that outlines the
alveolar area. The layer of surfactant minimizes the surface tension
of the alveolar fluid, thus affecting in lung stability (Gerloff et al.,
2017).

EFFECTS OF INHALATION OF SMOKING ON GAS
EXCHANGE IN LUNGS
 particulates in e-cigarette are smaller, so vapor can easily infiltrate
to the lungs and associated with the lung surfactant thus hampers the
stability of lung (Przybyla et al., 2017).
 The e-cigarette contains various chemicals. Among this, diacetyl is
present on it and can cause inflammation of the bronchioles. This
inflammation, in turn, can affect the lung fibroblast and epithelial
cells.
 The inhalation of this chemical particles and CO2 blocks the
airways, thus decreases oxygen saturation of the blood (sPO2 ).
 This inhalation leads to increase the overall respiratory rate as the
body deficits of oxygen.

DISEASE RELATED TO SMOKING
 Pulmonary diseases-
1. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease- it is a very common lung
disease. Two forms of COPD are-chronic bronchitis, where people suffer
cough with mucus for long duration. Another is Emphysema that includes
severe harm to the lungs (COPD, 2020).
2. Lung cancer- It is mainly caused by smoking. The chemical, acrylonitrile
found in cigarettes is a human carcinogen. This is responsible for causing
cancer.
3. Asthma- the ammonia present in cigarette is known to cause asthma and
raises blood pressure. It is a kind of lung disease facing difficulties in
breathing and trigger coughing.
4. Bronchiolitis obliterans- it is a type of inflammatory disease of the
bronchioles because of breathing chemical particles.

DISEASE RELATED TO SMOKING
 Cardiovascular disease- the smoking of cigarette leads to blood
vessel line inflamed and swollen. This can contracted the blood
vessels and occurs many cardiovascular disease (Messner &
Bernhard, 2014).
1. Atherosclerosis- this disease occurs when chemicals, substances
form plaque in the blood and narrow the arteries so that the blood
can not slow correctly. Smoking can form this plaque in blood
vessels.
2. Coronary heart disease- it is a type of heart disease where
chemical from cigarette condenses the blood and forms lumps
inside the veins and arteries.
3. Stroke- it is an impairment of brain function due to blood flow
disruption to the brain. Smoking increases the risk.
4. Peripheral Arterial disease- in this disease, blood vessels become
narrower and the blood flow to all over the body is reduced. It is
prevalent in people who are smoking.

E-CIGARETTES AND ITS CONCERN
 e- cigarettes are electronic is a nicotine supply system that are
powered by battery system. In this device liquid nicotine and other
flavors like vegetable glycerin, propylene-glycol are added and
formulated into an aerosol which is then inhaled.
 e-cigarettes contains many cancer producing chemicals, heavy
metals like lead, ultrafine particles.
 The used chemical like glycerol is responsible for reducing the
consistency of bronchial fluid.
 The nicotine in e-cigarettes affects in brain development among
adolescence and youth people.
 E-cigarette use is currently approved to quit smoking ((U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services, 2020).

E-CIGARETTES AND ITS CONCERN
 I oppose the vaping products as it decreases lung function. It
minimizes the respired nitric oxide thereby increasing whole
peripheral resistance (Kaisar et al., 2016). Experts advice is to use
nicotine gum, nicotine patches or counselling is better than e-
cigarettes to avoid smoking.
 The uses of vaping products also raised safety concerns. It has
caused many harmful disease like bronchiolitis obliterans (popcorn
lung).
 There is a controversy among common people as they think that e-
cigarettes are more safe than traditional and they use it more
frequently. It also possesses less amount of threat than conventional
smoking (Kozlowski, Homish & Homish, 2017). In this way,
the vaping products are better than cigarettes.

REFERENCES
 (COPD), C. (2020). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): MedlinePlus
Medical Encyclopedia. Retrieved 24 March 2020, from
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000091.htm
 Gerloff, J., Sundar, I. K., Freter, R., Sekera, E. R., Friedman, A. E., Robinson, R., ... &
Rahman, I. (2017). Inflammatory response and barrier dysfunction by different e-
cigarette flavoring chemicals identified by gas chromatography–mass
spectrometry in e-liquids and e-vapors on human lung epithelial cells and
fibroblasts. Applied in vitro toxicology, 3(1), 28-40.
 Kaisar, M. A., Prasad, S., Liles, T., & Cucullo, L. (2016). A decade of e- cigarettes: limited
research & unresolved safety concerns. Toxicology, 365, 67-75.
 Kozlowski, L. T., Homish, D. L., & Homish, G. G. (2017). Daily users compared to less
frequent users find vape as or more satisfying and less dangerous than cigarettes,
and are likelier to use non-cig-alike vaping p products. Preventive medicine reports, 6,
111-114.
 Messner, B., & Bernhard, D. (2014). Smoking and cardiovascular disease:
mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction and early atherogenesis. Arteriosclerosis,
thrombosis, and vascular biology, 34(3), 509- 515.
 Przybyla, R. J., Wright, J., Parthiban, R., Nazemidashtarjandi, S., Kaya, S., & Farnoud,
A. M. (2017). Electronic cigarette vapor alters the lateral structure but not
tensiometric properties of calf lung surfactant. Respiratory research, 18(1), 193.
 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2020). About Electronic Cigarettes (E-
cigarettes). Retrieved 25 March 2020, from
https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html