ATI LPN
Questions of Respiratory System Questions
Question 1 of 5
What type of cells produce the mucus for the mucous membranes?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Goblet cells are specialized epithelial cells in mucous membranes, like those in the respiratory tract, that secrete mucus to trap pathogens and debris, protecting underlying tissues. Macrophages are immune cells that engulf pathogens, not mucus producers. Phagocytes, a broader immune cell category, also lack mucus-secreting roles. Ciliated epithelial cells move mucus via cilia but don't produce it working with goblet cells to clear airways. Goblet cells' mucus is vital for the mucociliary escalator, a defense mechanism in the lungs and nasal passages, where mucus captures particles and cilia sweep them out. This division of labor ensures respiratory surfaces stay moist and clean, preventing infection and irritation, a fundamental concept in understanding respiratory histology and immunity.
Question 2 of 5
The nurse is caring for a client thought to have lobar pneumonia. Which color does the nurse anticipate the sputum to be when obtaining a sputum sample?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Rust-colored sputum (B) is expected in lobar pneumonia, typically from Streptococcus pneumoniae, as hemoptysis results from RBC breakdown in consolidated alveoli. Brown (A) suggests old blood or fungal infection (e.g., Aspergillus), not classic lobar. Red (C) indicates fresh bleeding, rare unless necrotizing. Cloudy (D) is purulent (e.g., bronchopneumonia), not specific to lobar's bloody hue. The document's answer (B) matches pathology S. pneumoniae's virulence causes capillary leakage, yielding 'rusty' sputum, a hallmark distinguishing it from A's chronicity or D's infection type.
Question 3 of 5
The nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with pneumonia resulting from Staphylococcus aureus. Which classification of medication should the nurse anticipate the healthcare provider will order to eradicate the infection?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cephalosporin (B) (e.g., cefazolin) targets Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, per IDSA guidelines its beta-lactam kills gram-positive cocci. Corticosteroids (A) reduce inflammation, not infection. Antitussives (C) suppress cough, delaying clearance. Bronchodilators (D) ease breathing, not eradication. S. aureus's virulence (e.g., necrotizing) requires antibiotics like B, aligning with the document's implied answer, distinguishing it from A's adjunct role or C's symptom focus.
Question 4 of 5
The tiny air sacs present in human lungs are called _______.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Alveoli are the tiny air sacs in the lungs, numbering about 500 million, where gas exchange occurs oxygen enters the blood, and carbon dioxide exits via diffusion across their thin walls. The bronchus (singular) and bronchioles are airways leading to alveoli, not sacs themselves bronchi branch from the trachea, and bronchioles are smaller terminal passages. 'All' is incorrect; only alveoli fit the description. Their vast surface area (about 100 m²) and capillary network make them the lungs' functional units, essential for oxygenation, a key focus in respiratory anatomy and diseases like emphysema, where alveoli degrade.
Question 5 of 5
In Aves, the exchange of gases occurs within the __________.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: In birds (Aves), gas exchange occurs in the lungs, not air sacs. Their unique system features rigid lungs with parabronchi, where oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse into blood continuously, unlike human tidal breathing. Air sacs act as bellows, moving air unidirectionally through the lungs, but lack capillaries for exchange they store and pump air. 'Air sacs and lungs' overstates sacs' role; 'none' is wrong lungs are key. This efficient design supports high metabolism for flight, a distinct adaptation in avian respiration, critical for understanding comparative physiology and bird-specific respiratory conditions.