O V E R V I E W :
| On this page you
will learn about the Respiratory System, which is responsible for exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. |
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C O N T E N T S :
| The respiratory
system main task is to supply
oxygen to the blood and getting
rid of waste gases. Carbon
dioxide is the primary gas that
the blood gets rid of. The upper
structures of the respiratory
system are combined with the
sensory organs of smell and taste
and the digestive system. When
you inhale (breathing in) your
skeletal muscle and the diaphragm
contract, which then enlarge the
chest cavity and cause the lungs
to draw in air. This creates a
partial vacuum in the thoracic
cavity, air passes through the
nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea,
and then into the two bronchi to
the lungs. Oxygen and carbon
dioxide pass between the blood
and the air in the alveoli, which
are at the end of the smallest
bronchi. Oxygen diffuses from the
inhaled air through the alveoli
walls into the capillaries. The
lungs contain more than 300
million alveoli. When you exhale
or breathe out, your skeletal
muscles and diaphragm return to
the relax position which decrease
the size of the chest cavity and
therefore pushes the air out of
the lungs. The rib cage serves as
a structural support for the
whole thoracic arrangement, and
peural membranes help provide
lubrication for the respiratory
organs so that they are not
chaffed during respiration. The
air we exhale contains 100 times
more carbon dioxide than inhaled
air. In a resting position a
healthy individual will inhale
and exhale approximately 16 time
per minute. |
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| R E L A T E D L I N
K S : |
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