Respiratory System Function: Ventilation and Respiration

This lecture covers the function of the respiratory system, focusing on the ventilation process and the role of inspiratory and expiratory muscles. It explains the importance of intra-thoracic pressure variation in ventilation, the spirometer's principle of operation, different respiratory spaces, dead and functional lung spaces, the role of surfactant, pulmonary circulation, and pulmonary compartments. It also discusses hydrostatic and osmotic forces in alveolar fluid circulation, compliance of the lungs, pulmonary volumes measurement, respiratory muscle movements, and the determinants of lung compliance.