Which of the following statements is not true about the respiratory system? Sele

Question

Which of the following statements is not true about the respiratory system? Select one: O a. The swallowing reflex increases as people move into late adulthood, decreasing the chance of choking. O b. Maximum breathing capacity begins to decrease at about age 30 and continues to decrease through adulthood C. In adolescents, the respiratory system grows slowly relative to the rest of the body and some adolescents may even experience inadequate oxygenation that results in fatigue d. As adults mature, lungs increase in size, breathing becomes slower, and respirations become deeper

Explanation / Answer

Late adulthood or old age starts from age of sixty-five. Swallowing reflex is an involuntary reflex that controls pharyngeal and esophageal phases of swallowing. The swallowing reflex prevents pulmonary aspiration. Swallowing involves both skeletal muscle in tongue and smooth muscles of the pharynx and esophagus. As people age, these muscles weaken, thereby weakening the swallowing reflex, causing decreased swallowing function. There is reduced pressure in the tongue along with reduced lip motor function in elderly individuals. In elderly, there is decrease in oropharyngeal swallowing and pharyngeal clearance. Changes in the oropharyngeal/esophageal swallowing mechanism in late adulthood is called Presbyphagia. Difficulty in swallowing is called Dysphagia. If food sticks to throat, there may be choking. Choking occurs when the food or saliva instead of passing to stomach, enters the lungs. Hence, in late adulthood, reduced swallowing reflex can increase choking.

The respiratory system in adults grows slower than rest of the body. Hence, they may suffer from bouts of reduced oxygenation. Respiration rate in adolescents is 16-20 beats per minute. A male adolescent exhibits slower lungs maturation than females. However, due to larger chest size, vital capacity in males is greater than in females.

Maximum breathing capacity is the volume of air that can be inhaled or exhaled by a person per minute by breathing. It is a better index of ventilatory function. Around six liters of air is the maximum that can be taken in by an individual. A decrease in lung function starts from age 35. Lung tissue starts being damaged or worn out by this age. The lung tissues lose their elasticity, making airways smaller. Further, the bones of the rib cage become smaller thereby reducing expansion of lungs.

As people grow older, the diaphragm weakens and decreases the ability to inhale and exhale. Ribs become thinner and change shape. Hence, they cannot expand or contract as we inhale and exhale. Alveoli lose shape and the lung tissue becomes less elastic. The signals sent by the nervous systems to the brain to control breathing becomes less strong. Hence, breathing becomes slower with age.

Right Answer: a. the swallowing reflex increases as people move into late adulthood, decreasing chances of choking.

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