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Respiratory System Study
Guide
Respiratory System Vocabulary
□ voice box (larynx): two vocal chords stretched across top of trachea
□ trachea: windpipe; has tiny hairs called cilia that filter out dirt and germs
from the air
□ bronchi: two branches from the trachea which carry the air to the two
lungs
□ bronchial tubes: tubes branching from the bronchi
□ alveoli: air sacs at the ends of the bronchial tubes surrounded by
capillaries; capillaries pick up oxygen and drop off carbon dioxide through
the alveoli
□ lungs: sponge-like organs of breathing
□ diaphragm: large muscle between the chest and stomach cavities
□ The main function of the respiratory system is to take in oxygen and get
rid of carbon dioxide. It works to provide oxygen for the circulatory system
to distribute throughout the body, and to collect and get rid of carbon
dioxide that the circulatory system picks up from the body (see alveoli
definition above).
□ Smoking can cause serious damage to lung tissue and even cause lung
cancer or other deadly diseases. Smoke and harmful chemicals such as tar
cause damage to the walls of the alveoli and destroy the cilia (see trachea
definition above) lining the trachea. It is also damaging to the circulatory
system and can cause heart disease.