During the inspiratory portion of a respiratory cycle, the airway resistance is reduced because the distending force exerted by the positive
Blank
______ pressure keeps the smaller airways that lack cartilage from collapsing.

Question

During the inspiratory portion of a respiratory cycle, the airway resistance is reduced because the distending force exerted by the positive 
Blank
______ pressure keeps the smaller airways that lack cartilage from collapsing.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Reframing the question in my own words: During the inspiratory phase of a respiratory cycle, airway resistance decreases because the distending force from a positive pressure helps keep small airways open, preventing collapse.
Option 1: intrapleural. The intrapleural pressure is the pressure within the pleural cavity. It is normally negative relative to intrapulmonary pressure to keep the lungs expanded, but it is not the direct distending force applied to small airways to prevent collapse during inspiration. Using intrapleural pressure alone doesn’t specify the airway-distending force that stabilizes small airways; thus this option does not best describe the mechanism described in the prompt.
Option 2: transpulmonary. Transpulmonary pressure is the difference between airway (alveolar) pressure and intrapleural pressure. It represents the distending force acting to expand the lungs and keep small airways open, particularly those lacking cartilage, during inspiration. This aligns exactly with the described mechanism: a positive distending pressure that prevents collapse of small, non-cartilaginous airways, reducing airway resistance.
Option 3: alveolar. Alveolar pressure refers to the pressure inside the air sacs themselves. While it contributes to overall airway pressure dynamics, the prompt emphasizes the distending force that prevents collapse of small airways by acting across the system, which is best captured by the concept of transpulmonary pressure rather than alveolar pressure alone.
Option 4: atmospheric. Atmospheric pressure is the ambient external pressure surrounding the body. It does not provide the internal distending force necessary to keep small airways from collapsing during inspiration, so it fails to explain the mechanism described.
In summary, the statement points to a pressure difference that maintains airway patency by counteracting the collapsing tendency in small airways. The appropriate term for that distending force is the transpulmonary pressure, which is the pressure gradient between the inside of the lungs (airway/alveolar pressure) and the intrapleural space. The other options either describe pressures that are not the primary distending force for this mechanism or refer to external/environmental pressures that do not directly sustain airway patency during inspiration.

During the inspiratory portion of a respiratory cycle, the airway resistance is reduced because the distending force exerted by the positive Blank ______ pressure keeps the smaller airways that lack cartilage from collapsing.

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