Respiratory System

 

This week we are starting to look at the human respiratory system I will be doing a few posts about this topic over the next few weeks.

We need a constant supply of oxygen to stay alive, our respiratory system is what allows us to obtain oxygen from the air and to get rid of carbon dioxide which is the waste it is a gas produced by cells.

Our respiratory is made up of the following parts.

Nose and nasal cavity: Filter, warm, and moisten incoming air.

Mouth: An alternate pathway for air, especially during exercise or congestion.

Pharynx: The throat area that carries air from the nose/mouth toward the larynx.

Larynx: Also called the voice box; helps produce sound and protects the airway.

Trachea: The windpipe, which carries air down into the chest.

Bronchi: Two main branches from the trachea, one going to each lung.

Bronchioles: Smaller branching airways inside the lungs.

Alveoli: Tiny air sacs where gas exchange occurs.

Lungs: The main organs of breathing.

Diaphragm: A dome-shaped muscle under the lungs that drives breathing.

More next week.