RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Parts of the respiratory system

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"The respiratory "The respiratory system provides system provides

oxygen from the air oxygen from the air for cells to change for cells to change food into energy. food into energy.

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Respiration is the process of Respiration is the process of breathing in and out breathing in and out

through respiratory system through respiratory system

The NASAL CAVITY (nose) is the preferred entrance for outside air into the Respiratory System. The hairs that line the inside wall are part of the air-cleansing system.

Air also enters through the ORAL CAVITY (mouth), especially in people who have a mouth-breathing habit or whose nasal passages may be temporarily obstructed, as by a cold.

The PHARYNX (throat) collects incoming air from the nose and passes it downward to the trachea (windpipe).

The larynx forms the entrance to the lower respiratory system . With the help of the epiglottis (a leaf-shaped flap), the larynx prevents food or liquid from entering the lower respiratory tract while swallowing .

The TRACHEA (windpipe) is the passage leading from the pharynx to the lungs.

The trachea divides into the two main BRONCHI (tubes), one for each lung. These, in turn, subdivide further into bronchioles.

One bronchus leads to the right lung, the other to the left lung . The bronchi also contain C-shaped cartilage rings like the trachea .

Deeper in the lungs, each bronchus divides into secondary and tertiary bronchi, which continue to branch to smaller airways called the bronchioles .

The bronchioles end in air sacs called the alveoli . Alveoli are bunched together into clusters to form alveolar sacs . On the surface of each alveolus, there is a network of capillaries carrying blood that has come through veins from other parts of the body . Here gas exchange occurs -- carbon dioxide from the blood is exchanged for oxygen from the alveoli . After the blood is oxygenated, it goes to the heart (between the two lungs), where it is pumped out to all of the body tissues and extremities . When you breathe out, the carbon dioxide is exhaled and expelled from the body .

The lungs are the main organs of the respiratory system. In the lungs oxygen is taken into the body and carbon dioxide is breathed out. The red blood cells are responsible for picking up the oxygen in the lungs and carrying the oxygen to all the body cells that need it. The red blood cells drop off the oxygen to the body cells, then pick up the carbon dioxide which is a waste gas product produced by our cells. The red blood cells transport the carbon dioxide back to the lungs and we breathe it out when we exhale.

The RIGHT LUNG is divided into three LOBES, or sections.The left lung is divided into two LOBES.

The DIAPHRAGM is the strong wall of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. By moving downward, it creates suction to draw in air and expand the lungs.

Upon exhalation, the diaphragm relaxe s and returns to its domelike shape, an d air is forced out of the lungs.

Which is larger, left lung or right lung?

• the right lung is larger and has more lobes than the left lung (3 vs 2 ). This is because the heart is normally located on the left side, and takes up space in what would have been the left lung .

Why Do I Yawn?

 When you are sleepy or drowsy the lungs do not take enough oxygen from the air. This causes a shortage of oxygen in our bodies. The brain senses this shortage of oxygen and sends a message that causes you to take a deep long breath---a YAWN.

Why Do I Sneeze?

Sneezing is like a cough in the upper breathing passages. It is the body's way of removing an irritant from the sensitive mucous membranes of the nose. Many things can irritate the mucous membranes. Dust, pollen, pepper or even a cold blast of air are just some of the many things that may cause you to sneeze.

What Causes Hiccups?

Hiccups are the sudden movements of the diaphragm. It is involuntary --- you have no control over hiccups, as you well know. There are many causes of hiccups. The diaphragm may get irritated, you may have eaten to fast, or maybe some substance in the blood could even have brought on the hiccups.