Whoa You're Breathing!

The Structure and Function of Lungs

A Presentation for Your Educational Benefit by Blake Tashjian, Caroline Casey, and Matt

Mahoney

The Respiratory System: The Diagram

The Passage of Air  

TracheaStructure: • Tube of many cartilage

rings.  Purpose: • Maintains structure for

passing air so that it does not collapse.

http://www.naturalhealthschool.com/img/trachea.gif

Cilia and Mucous Lining

              CiliaStructure: • Hair-like projections

 Purpose: • Moves mucus up

towards the pharynx       Mucous Lining Purpose: • Traps contaminants

such as dust or pollen

These two structures help keep the lung system clean.

http://www.cytochemistry.net/Cell-biology/cilia5.jpghttp://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/thumb/6/69/250px-

Bronchiolar_epithelium_3_-_SEM.jpg

www.nlm.nih.gov/.../ency/imagepages/19533.htm

The Passage of Air

  

The Bronchial TreeStructure: • Made of cartilage. • Trachea divides into

two branches: bronchi.

• Then divide into "twigs": bronchioles. 

• Then twigs open up to alveoli at the ends.

 Purpose: • Spread air from

trachea      over as much area as possible.

www.nanomedicine.com/NMI/Figures/8.12.jpg

The End of the Line  

AlveoliStructure: • Alveoli are small

clustered sacks at the end of the bronchioles. 

• They are one cell thick and are covered in capillaries. 

• Have a pulmonary surfactant layer.

   http://www.coolschool.ca/lor/BI12/unit11/U11L03.htm

The End of the Line

AlveoliPurpose: • Used for diffusion of oxygen

and carbon dioxide in between the blood and the lungs.

• The spherical clusters increase surface area for diffusion.

• Thin walls allow passive transport a quick process.

• Lots of Capillaries increase contact with blood.

• Pulmonary surfactant prevents collapse during exhalation.

http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/LifeScience/GeneralBiology/Physiology/RespiratorySystem/HumanRespiratory/humrespsys3.gif

Red Blood Cells

Absorbs Oxygen- O2 diffuses from alveoli into the capillaries and

into the red blood cells-O2 enters the blood through inhaling

Releases Carbon Dioxide-CO2 diffuses from red blood cells through the

capillary walls into alveoli.-CO2 is released by exhaling

Hemoglobin- a protein molecule in red blood cells that moves oxygen from lungs to body's tissues and

returns carbon dioxide from tissues to lungs

http://www.bloodless.it/hemoglobin.jpg http://science.uwe.ac.uk/research/uploads/CRIB_blood_cells.jpg

Sources"Alveoli." Coolschool. 28 Oct 2008 <http://www.coolschool.ca/lor/BI12/unit11/U11L03.htm>.  "Anatomy and Physiology of the Respiratory System Tutorial." The Virtual Autopsy. 28 Oct 2008        <http://www.le.ac.uk/pathology/teach/va/anatomy/case2/frmst2.html>.  Campbell, Neil A. Biology. Third ed. University of California, Riverside, California: Benjamin  Company, Inc., 1993.  "Gas Exchange In Humans". Biology 2210. 28 Oct 2008    <http://www.cdli.ca/~dpower/resp/exchange.htm#Transport>. "Hemoglobin." MedicineNet. 2008. MedicineNet, Inc.. 28 Oct 2008 <http://www.medicinenet.com/>.   "How the Lungs Work". National Heart Blood and Lung Institute. 28 Oct 2008 <http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/hlw/hlw_all.html>.  "How Your Lungs Work". How Stuff Works. 28 Oct 2008 <http://health.howstuffworks.com/lung2.htm>.  

Sources Cont."Lung Lobes and the Bronchial Tree". Nanomedicine. 28 Oct 2008    <http://www.nanomedicine.com/NMI/Figures/8.12.jpg>.  "Lung Structure and Function". Oncology Research Therapudics, Inc.. 28 Oct 2008  <http://www.ort-inc.com/lung_02.html>. Medlock, Amy. "Hemoglobin." 2007. 28 Oct 2008 <http://www.bloodless.it/hemoglobin.jpg>.  "Production of Universal Blood Cells." Blog About Science. 2007. WordPress. 28 Oct 2008 <http://science.uwe.ac.uk/research/uploads/CRIB_blood_cells.jpg>.   Starr, Cecil, and Ralph Taggart. Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole, 2001.  "Your Lungs: Human Respiratory System." Lungusa. The American Lung Association. 28 Oct     2008 <http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&B=22576>.