Respiratory System

Diaphragm

A sheet of muscle, which protects the lungs.

Bronchiole

A thin breathing tube that branches from a bronchus within a lung.

Negative pressure breathing

Air rushes in through the nose and mouth, from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.

Pharynx

Divides the esophagus and the trachea, food to esophagus, air to trachea. The pharynx is a flap of tissue. The throat region where the air and food passages cross. If a piece of food lodges in the pharynx, air is blocked out, so you can choke and die quickly.

Respiratory system order inhalation

Nasal cavity-Pharynx-Larynx-Trachea-Bronchus-Bronchioles-Alveoli

Bronchus

One of a pair of breathing tubes that branch from the trachea into the lungs. An airway that conducts air into the lungs. There is a right and left bronchus, which branches into smaller tubes, known as bronchiole. Fork like structure.

Third step of gas exchange

Oxygen diffuses form red blood cells into body cells, which release Carbon Dioxide into the blood. The delivered oxygen is used by the body cells to obtain energy from food via the process of cellular respiration.

Larynx

Structure that causes air to vibrate with specific pitches as air is being exhaled.The voice box, containing the vocal cords. Protects the trachea because a large material passes it called a cough.

Alveoli

The bronchioles dead end in grape-like clusters of air sacs called alveoli. Each of your lungs contains millions of these tiny sacs. The inner surface of each alveolus is lined with a layer of epithelial cells, where the exchange of gases actually takes place. Oxygen enters the bloodstream by diffusing from the air into a web of blood capillaries that surround each alveolus. The Carbon dioxide in the alveoli is then exhaled through the bronchioles to the bronchus, up through the trachea, and out of the body. Gas exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place in the alveoli. Oxygen from the inhaled air diffuses through the walls of the alveoli and adjacent capillaries into the red blood cells. The oxygen is then carried by the blood to the body tissues.

Lungs

The primary organs of the respiratory system are lungs, which function to take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide as we breathe. The human respiratory system is a series of organs responsible for taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide.

Breathing (First step of gas exchange)

The ventilation of the lungs by alternate inhalation and exhalation. Oxygen diffuses across the cells lining the lungs and into the surrounding blood vessels.

Trachea

The windpipe; the portion of the respiratory tube between the larynx and the bronchi. Provides air flow to the lungs for respiration.

The rib cage gets smaller as rib muscles relax

This happens during exhalation.

The rib cage expands as rib muscles contract

This happens during inhalation.

Second step of gas exchange

Transportation of Oxygen form the lungs to the rest of the body via the circulatory system.