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The Respiratory System
James Wall, Ben Wardwell, and
Dean Caruso
Yellow Block
How Air Enters the Respiratory System
Before any air can enter the lungs,
it must pass through the mouth or
nose into the trachea. Here are
some of the strucures along the way:
Mouth/Nose: These openings serve
as entrances and exits for the air we
breath (6).
Epiglottis: This soft flap prevents
foreign objects (mainly food) from
entering the Trachea (6).
Trachea: The opening into the lungsit houses the vocal chords and helps
provide structure, protection, and support
for the delicate parts of the throat. It extends down until it splits
into the right and left bronchi (6).
The Diaphragm
The diaphragm is a muscle located between the lungs and the
ribcage, and it stretches under the lungs. This muscle is key to
breathing as it controls inspiration. The diaphram can
contract (seen below) to expand the lungs, lowering
the air pressureinside of them, therefore
causing air to flow into them (inspiration)
(6)
Exhalation occurs when the
diaphragm relaxes-returning
to its original shape and
compressing the lungs. The
intercoastal muscles help
power this process. (6)
The Sequence of Structures Involved in Oxygen
Transport:
1.) The mouth and the nose take in oxygen
from the air around the body, initiating the
respiratory process. (2)
2.) The oxygen inhaled from the body travels
through the trachea. (2)
-The trachea is lined with 15 to 20 C-shaped
lines of cartilage down its length to prevent it from
collapsing. (4)
3.) The trachea splits in to two bronchus tubes
(plural: bronchi). Each respective bronchus
connects to one lung. (2)
4.)The bronchi split into many bronchial tubes.
(2)
Picture (1)
The Sequence of Structures Involved in Oxygen
Transport (continued):
5.) The bronchial tubes split into
several lesser tubes.
6.) Each of the lesser tubes ends in
an alveoli sac (1).
-Each alveoli is surrounded by tiny
blood vessels called capillaries (1). It is
here that the respiratory and circulatory
system connect.
-Alveoli are "spongy, air-filled sacs". This
sponge-like structure makes it easier for
the oxygen in air to diffuse out of the
alveoli and into the capillaries (1).
-The human body contains
approximately 600 million of these alveoli
sacs (1).
Picture (1)
Gas Exchange
-Oxygen diffuses between the alveoli and capillaries (5).
-Oxygen attaches to hemoglobin in red blood cells and his
carried throughout the body in the bloodstream (5).
-Carbon dioxide diffuses from the bloodstream into the alveoli
and is exhaled (5).
Reference Section:
(1) Ambulance Technician Study. “Respiratory System.” Ambulance Technician Study. Nixon Mcinnes, 2006. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.
http://www.ambulancetechnicianstudy.co.uk/respsystem.html.
(2) The Franklin Institute. “Respiratory System: Oxygen Delivery System.” The Franklin Institute Resources for Science Learning :
The Human Heart. The Franklin Institute, 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2011. http://www.fi.edu/learn/heart/systems/respiration.html.
(3) National Center for Biotechnology Information, Pneumonia. A.D.A.M. Inc,
2011. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001200/2011>
(4) O’Rahilly, Ronan, et al. “Chapter 21: The esophagus, trachea and main bronchi.” Basic Human Anatomy: A Regional Study of
Human Structur. Dartmouth Medical School, 2008. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/part_4/chapter_21.html.
(5) Starr, Cecie, Lisa Starr, and Ralph Taggart. Biology the Unity and Diversity of Life. Belmont, Calif. [u.a.: Brooks Cole Thomson
Learning, 2002. Print.
6)Tamarkin, Dawn A. PhD. Inspiration and Expiration. STCC Foundation Press, 2011.
<http://faculty.stcc.edu/AandP/AP/AP2pages/Units21to23/respiration/inspirat.htm>
Thank you!