The Respiratory System In Brief
Your Body's Air Factory
The Respiratory System In Brief
Your Body's Air Factory
The lungs and respiratory system enable us to breathe,
Bringing oxygen into our bodies (Inspiration or inhalation)
Expelling carbon dioxide (Expiration or Exhalation).
This exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is collectively called respiration.
8 chapters in this video
0:00 Introduction to the lungs
0:32 Main purpose of the respiratory system
1:10 How lungs function
2:06 Information about the diaphragm
3:02 The nose, mouth, pharynx, and trachea
4:07 The epiglottis, bronchi, and bronchioles
5:13 Alveoli and the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide
6:58 Review of the facts
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Have you ever wondered how your body breathes and converts carbon dioxide to oxygen?
In The Respiratory System video, you will learn how exactly we do this. You will also learn about the other components and functions of this important body system.
All living things need oxygen to survive. As humans, we use our lungs and other parts of the body to breathe properly and receive oxygen. Our lungs take up most of the space in our chest, and our ribs are there to protect them and the heart.
Speaking of the heart, the left lung is smaller than the right so that there's more room for the heart! On the outside, lungs are pink, spongelike, and kind of squishy.
Another fun fact: Yawning is a sign that the body needs more oxygen. When we get sleepy, the brain sends a particular signal in tell our lungs to breathe in more air.
Have you ever noticed that you can breathe through both your mouth and your nose?
If we breathe through the nose, the air gets filtered by tiny hairs called cilia. These hairs line the passageways of the nose to filter out dust and other substances.
The air travels down the trachea, or windpipe, which is also lined with cilia. The pharynx, which is actually part of both the respiratory and digestive systems, carries food and air divided into two pathways. The esophagus is for food and leads to the stomach. Air travels through the larynx (voice box) that leads to the trachea. At the back of the throat area is a flap of tissue called an epiglottis. The epiglottis covers the air-only passage when we swallow to keep food or drink out of the windpipe.
How Do the Lungs and Respiratory System Work?
The cells in our bodies need oxygen to stay alive. Carbon dioxide is made in our bodies as cells do their jobs.
The lungs and respiratory system allow oxygen in the air to be taken into the body, while also letting the body get rid of carbon dioxide in the air breathed out.
When you breathe in, the diaphragm moves downward toward the abdomen, and the rib muscles pull the ribs upward and outward. This makes the chest cavity bigger and pulls air through the nose or mouth into the lungs.
In exhalation, the diaphragm moves upward and the chest wall muscles relax, causing the chest cavity to get smaller and push air out of respiratory system through the nose or mouth.
Every few seconds, with each inhalation, air fills a large portion of the millions of alveoli. In a process called diffusion, oxygen moves from the alveoli to the blood through the capillaries (tiny blood vessels) lining the alveolar walls. Once in the bloodstream, oxygen gets picked up by the hemoglobin in red blood cells. This oxygen-rich blood then flows back to the heart, which pumps it through the arteries to oxygen-hungry tissues throughout the body.
In the tiny capillaries of the body tissues, oxygen is freed from the hemoglobin and moves into the cells. Carbon dioxide, made by the cells as they do their work, moves out of the cells into the capillaries, where most of it dissolves in the plasma of the blood. Blood rich in carbon dioxide then returns to the heart via the veins. From the heart, this blood is pumped to the lungs, where carbon dioxide passes into the alveoli to be exhaled.
What Are the Parts of the Respiratory System?
The respiratory system includes:
the nose
mouth
throat (pharynx)
voice box (larynx)
windpipe (trachea)
lungs
How Does Air Enter the Respiratory System?
Air enters the respiratory system through the nose or the mouth. If it goes in the nostrils (also called nares), the air is warmed and humidified. Tiny hairs called cilia (say: SIL-ee-uh) protect the nasal passageways and other parts of the respiratory tract, filtering out dust and other particles that enter the nose through the breathed air.
What's the Esophagus/ Epiglottis?
At the bottom of the pharynx, the pathway divides in 2:
one for food: the esophagus, it leads to the stomach
one for air: the larynx. The epiglottis, is a small flap of tissue that covers the air-only passage when we swallow, keeping food and liquid from going into the lungs.
What's the Pharynx?
The two openings of the airway (the nasal cavity and the mouth) meet at the pharynx (throat) at the back of the nose and mouth. The pharynx (say: FAR-inks) is part of the digestive system as well as the respiratory system because it carries both food and air.
What's the Larynx / the Vocal Cords?
The larynx (voice box) is the top part of the the air-only pipe. This short tube contains a pair of vocal cords, which vibrate to make sounds.
What Are Bronchi / Bronchioles?
At its bottom end, the trachea divides into left and right air tubes called bronchi (pronounced: BRAHN-kye), which connect to the lungs. Within the lungs, the bronchi branch into smaller bronchi and even smaller tubes called bronchioles (say: BRAHN-kee-olz).
What's the Trachea?
The trachea (windpipe) is the continuation of the airway below the larynx. The walls of the trachea (say: TRAY-kee-uh) are strengthened by stiff rings of cartilage to keep it open. The trachea is also lined with cilia, which sweep fluids and foreign particles out of the airway so that they stay out of the lungs.
What Are Alveoli?
Bronchioles end in tiny air sacs called alveoli (say: al-VEE-uh-lie), where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide actually takes place. Each person has hundreds of millions of alveoli in their lungs. This network of alveoli, bronchioles, and bronchi is known as the bronchial tree.
What's the Thorax?
The chest cavity, or thorax (say: THOR-aks), is the airtight box that houses the bronchial tree, lungs, heart, and other structures. The chest walls form a protective cage around the lungs and other contents of the chest cavity.
What's the Diaphragm?
The top and sides of the thorax are formed by the ribs and attached muscles, and the bottom is formed by a large muscle called the diaphragm (say: DYE-uh-fram).
What's the Pleura?
The lungs also contain elastic tissues that allow them to inflate and deflate without losing shape. They're covered by a thin lining called the pleura (pronounced: PLUR-uh).
How can I keep my respiratory
system healthy?
Being able to clear mucus out of the lungs and airways is important for respiratory health.
To keep your respiratory system healthy, you should:
Avoid pollutants that can damage your airways, including secondhand smoke, chemicals and radon (a radioactive gas that can cause cancer). Wear a mask if you are exposed to fumes, dust or other types of pollutants for any reason.
Don't smoke.
Eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and drink water to stay hydrated
Exercise regularly to keep your lungs healthy.
Prevent infections by washing your hands often and getting a flu vaccine each year.