(TBBS) Respiratory System Lesson Two
Respiratory System
It's time to take a look at the Body Systems in more detail.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have gills? You would breathe and look very different from the rest of us, but they would be great for swimming and diving! Despite such differences, the main functions of lungs and gills are the same: to obtain oxygen, and to release carbon dioxide. Other functions include filtering air, producing sounds, sense of smell, and regulation of blood pH.
Structure and Function
The respiratory system. Air moves down the trachea, a long straight tube in the chest. The diaphragm pulls air in and pushes it out.
The structures of the respiratory system include the nasal cavity, the pharynx, larynx, which together are the upper respiratory tract. The trachea, bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli are part of up the lower respiratory tract.
The nose and nasal cavity filter, warm, and moisten the inhaled air. The nose hairs and mucus produced by the epithelial cells in the nose catch airborne particles and prevent them from reaching the lungs.
Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes through the pharynx, a long tube that is shared with the digestive system. Both food and air pass through the pharynx. A flap of connective tissue called the epiglottis closes over the trachea when food is swallowed to prevent choking or inhaling food. In humans the pharynx is important in vocalization.
The larynx, also called the voicebox, is found just below the point at which the pharynx splits into the trachea and the esophagus, shown in Figure 2. The voice is generated in the larynx. Air from the lungs is needed for the vocal folds to produce speech.
The trachea, or wind pipe, is a long tube that leads down to the chest where it divides into the right and left bronchi in the lungs. The bronchi branch out into smaller bronchioles, which are the first airway passages that do not contain cartilage. The bronchioles lead into the alveoli, which are the multi-lobed sacs in which most of the gas exchange occurs.
Respiration
The process of gas exchange between the atmosphere and body cells.
- Movement of air into the lungs - Ventilation
- Gas exchange between blood and air (external respiration)
- Gas transport in blood
- Gas exchange between the blood and body cells (internal respiration)
Respiratory disease is the term for diseases of the lung, bronchial tubes, trachea and throat. These diseases range from mild, such as a cold, to being possibly life-threatening, such as bacterial pneumonia. Respiratory diseases can be grouped as either obstructive (conditions which lower the rate of the airflow into and out of the lungs, such as in asthma) or restrictive (conditions that cause a reduction in the functional volume of the lungs, such as emphysema.)
Common Illnesses related to the Respiratory System
- Cystic Fibrosis (genetic)
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Apnea
- Emphysema
- Lung Cancer
- Altitude Sickness
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Sinusitis
- Bacterial or Viral Infections (cold, flu, pneumonia)
Conditions that Require Emergency Care
Respiratory distress occurs when a person has trouble breathing. This may be identified if you hear a conscious victim breathing noisily, gasping, or skin appears to have a slightly blue tint.
- Respiratory arrest is a life-threatening condition that occurs when a person stops breathing.
- Causes include: drowning, illness, poisoning, allergic reaction, choking, electrocution, chronic illness, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, drug overdose or an injury to the head, neck , chest, or abdomen.
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