Respiratory system

The Human Body On each side, the intranasal space communicates with a series of neighbouring air-filled cavities within the The paranasal sinuses are sets of paired single or multiple cavities of variable size. Most of their development takes place after birth, and they reach their final size toward age 20. The sinuses are located in four different skull bones—the maxilla, the frontal, the ethmoid, and the sphenoid bones. Correspondingly, they are called the frontal sinus; the

15 Chapter 15: Respiratory System Figure xx.1 The thin air at high elevations can strain the human respiratory system. (credit: “bortescristian”/flickr.com) Hold your breath. Really! See how long you can hold your breath as you continue reading…How long can you do it? Chances are you are feeling uncomfortable already. A typical human cannot survive without breathing for more than 3 minutes, and even if you wanted to hold your breath longer, your autonomic nervous system would take control. This is because every cell in the body needs to run the oxidative stages of cellular respiration, the process by which energy is produced in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). For oxidative phosphorylation to occur, oxygen is used as a reactant and carbon dioxide is released as a waste product. You may be surprised to learn that although oxygen is a critical need for cells, it is actually the accumulation of carbon dioxide that primarily drives your need to breathe. Carbon dioxide is exhaled and oxygen is inhaled through the respiratory system, which includes muscles to move air into and out of the lungs, passageways through which air moves, and microscopic gas exchange surfaces covered by capillaries. The circulatory system transports gases from the lungs to tissues throughout the body and vice versa. A variety of diseases can affect the respiratory system, such as asthma, emphysema, chronic obstruction pulmonary disorder (COPD), and lung cancer. All of these conditions affect th...

[ "article:topic", "respiration", "nasal cavity", "pharynx", "larynx", "trachea", "bronchi", "authorname:mgrewal", "showtoc:yes", "respiratory tract", "lung", "columns:two", "cssprint:dense", "program:oeri", "licenseversion:30", "license:ck12", "source@https://www.ck12.org/book/ck-12-human-biology/" ] \( \newcommand\) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Seeing Your Breath Why can you “see your breath” on a cold day? The air you exhale through your nose and mouth is warm, like the inside of your body. Exhaled air also contains a lot of water vapor because it passes over moist surfaces from the lungs to the nose or mouth. The water vapor in your breath cools suddenly when it reaches the much colder outside air. This causes the water vapor to condense into a fog of tiny droplets of liquid water. You release water vapor and other gases from your body through the process of respiration. Figure \(\PageIndex\): Breath on a cold day What is Respiration? Respiration is the life-sustaining process in which gases are exchanged between the body and the outside atmosphere. Specifically, oxygen moves from the outside air into the body; and water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other waste gases move from inside the body into the outside air. Respiration is carried out mainly by the respiratory system. It is important to note that respiration by the respiratory system is not the same process as cellular respiration that occurs inside cells, although the two processes are closely connected. Cell...

11 Respiratory system The exchange of gases, such as carbon dioxide and oxygen, between the air and blood takes place in the lungs. In the alveoli, balloon-like structures in the lungs, gases diffuse between the inside and outside of the body by the process of simple diffusion, based on concentration gradient. A system of air passages brings the air to the respiratory membrane in the alveoli. Air enters the body through the nostrils, passes through the nasal cavity, flows through the pharynx and larynx to the trachea. The trachea branches into right and left bronchi that, in turn, branch into several divisions of smaller bronchi that continue to get smaller and smaller in size. Finally, bronchi become bronchioles which, after a few divisions, start out-pocketing as alveoli. In addition to providing the way for gases, the air passages help to warm, moisturize , and clean the air before it touches the delicate surfaces of the alveoli. Part of the nasal cavity is involved in smell-sensing and is covered by specialized olfactory epithelium. Gross anatomy of the respiratory system The respiratory system can be divided into the conducting portion and the respiratory portion. Figure 1: Major organs of the respiratory system The conducting portion delivers air to the lungs. It extends from the nasal cavity to the terminal bronchioles in the lungs and includes: • Pharynx • Laynx • Trachea • Several levels of bronchi – main, lobar, segmental, etc. • Several levels of bronchioles • t...

Your larynx is a hollow tube that connects your throat (pharynx) to the rest of your respiratory system. It helps you swallow safely and contains the vocal cords, so it’s often called the voice box. Certain conditions and behaviors can damage your larynx and your voice, but some strategies and specialists can help. Overview What is the larynx? Your larynx is part of your respiratory system. It’s a hollow tube that lets air pass from your throat ( Where is the larynx? Your larynx is inside the middle of your neck, at the level of the Adam’s apple. It’s located between your fourth to sixth cervical vertebrae (neck bones). Anatomy What is your larynx made of? Your larynx is made of: • The • • Membranes, which also help hold cartilage together. • What are the parts of the larynx? The anatomy of your larynx includes: • Epiglottis : This flap of skin covers the opening of your larynx. It keeps food and other particles from getting into your respiratory system. • False vocal cords: False vocal cords, or vestibular folds, close your larynx when you swallow so that food doesn’t go into your trachea and lungs. • Thyroid cartilage: This piece of cartilage on the front of your larynx is often called the Adam’s apple. • Vocal cords: Your vocal cords, or vocal folds, open, close and vibrate as air passes through to create sounds and speech. How long is the larynx? The larynx is about 2 inches long in adults. It’s smaller in women than in men. A larger larynx usually means a deeper voice...

What Is the Respiratory System? The respiratory system is the organs and other parts of your body involved in breathing, when you exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Parts of the Respiratory System Your respiratory system includes your: • Nose and nasal cavity • Sinuses • Mouth • Throat (pharynx) • Voice box (larynx) • Windpipe (trachea) • Diaphragm • Lungs • Bronchial tubes/bronchi • Bronchioles • Air sacs (alveoli) • Capillaries How Do We Breathe? Breathing starts when you inhale air into your nose or For your As the bronchial tubes pass through your lungs, they divide into smaller air passages called bronchioles. The bronchioles end in tiny balloon-like air sacs called alveoli. Your body has about 600 million alveoli. The alveoli are surrounded by a mesh of tiny After absorbing oxygen, blood goes to your As the cells use the oxygen, they make carbon dioxide that goes into your blood. Your blood then carries the carbon dioxide back to your lungs, where it’s removed from your body when you exhale. Inhalation and Exhalation Inhalation and exhalation are how your body brings in oxygen and gets rid of carbon dioxide. The process gets help from a large dome-shaped muscle under your lungs called the diaphragm. When you breathe in, your diaphragm pulls downward, creating a vacuum that causes a rush of air into your lungs. The opposite happens with exhalation: Your diaphragm relaxes upward, pushing on your lungs, allowing them to deflate. How Does the Respiratory System Clean th...