Structure and function of the gas exchange system

Key points
There are three main gases in air that are
taken in and removed from the body.
These are oxygen, nitrogen and carbon Function of the gas exchange
dioxide. system
Gas exchange is the ‘swapping’ of gasses - Gas exchange allows oxygen to
absorbing oxygen into the blood and travel into your cells for respiration
removing carbon dioxide from the blood. whilst also removing carbon
Diffusion moves oxygen out of the alveoli dioxide, which is a waste substance
and into the blood. made by the process of respiration.
Respiration is a vital process that
involves releasing energy from
glucose. All living things do this to
stay alive.
Breathing, respiration and gas exchange
Inhalation and exhalation is the same as
breathing or ventilation and is a physical
process which moves air into and out of your
lungs.
Respiration is not the same as breathing, and
is a chemical process which occurs in
all of your cells.
Gas exchange is a process that involves the
swapping of gases that occurs at exchange
surfaces such as the alveoli found within your
lungs.
Structure of the gas exchange system
The gas exchange system is made from key parts, each of which has a different function.
Part of the gas exchange system Function

Trachea This is also called the windpipe. This tube runs from the
mouth, down the throat towards the lungs. It is lined
with rings of cartilage which keep it open at all times.
Bronchus The trachea splits into a left and right bronchus (plural:
bronchi), each leads to a lung.
Bronchiole Each bronchus splits again and again into thousands of
smaller tubes called bronchioles which take the air
deeper into the lungs.
Alveoli At the ends of bronchioles are tiny air sacs called alveoli.
Here oxygen moves into the blood and carbon dioxide
moves out.
Intercostal muscles These muscles run between the ribs and form the chest
wall. They contract and relax with the diaphragm when a
person breathes.
Diaphragm The diaphragm is a dome-shaped, flat sheet of muscle
under the lungs. It contracts and relaxes with the
intercostal muscles during breathing.
How does oxygen travel into blood?
5. These alveoli are surrounded by a network of capillaries, allowing for
oxygen and carbon dioxide to be exchanged 1. Air
between
is breathed
the blood
into the
in the
lungs
capillaries and the air in the lungs. The oxygen
through
molecules
the windpipe
are carried
called
in red
the
blood cells. trachea.
2. The trachea divides into two
6. The exchange of these two gasses occurs by a process called diffusion.
How are the alveoli adapted for gas exchange?
Alveoli tubes called the bronchi.
3. The bronchi divides into many
Alveoli are tiny
 Alveoli air sacs
have in large
a very the lungs
surface area to tubes called bronchioles.
whereenable
gas is exchanged during
more diffusion of oxygen into the 4. The bronchioles divide until
breathing.
blood from the alveoli, and more carbon they end up in tiny air sacs
dioxide out of the blood into the alveoli. called alveoli. There are millions
Within the human lungs the alveoli of alveoli found within the
 They are only one cell thick so that the
provide an efficient exchange lungs.
diffusion distance is small.
surface adapted for gas exchange.
This involves
They have
the lots of bloodofcapillaries to ensure
‘swapping’
gasses.a For
good blood supply to maintain
example:
concentration gradients of oxygen and
Absorbing oxygen,
carbon which is needed
dioxide.
forrespiration,
They haveinto thesurfaces
moist blood from
for gases to
the air.dissolve in to form a solution to pass
through
Transferring the cell
carbon membrane.
dioxide, which
Some water vapour is lost from the surface of the

Ventilation Aerobic respiration

Air gets into and out of the body by Respiration is not breathing. That is called
the physical process of breathing, ventilation. Respiration is a chemical reaction
also called ventilation. This process which occurs in every one of the cells in the
involves movements of the ribs, human body. It releases energy stored in glucose
intercostal muscles and diaphragm and without it, these cells would die.
to move air into and out of the
Aerobic respiration occurs in the presence of
lungs.
oxygen. The equation for aerobic respiration is:
These are the changes involved
glucose + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
during inhalation and exhalation.
Aerobic respiration slowly releases lots of energy
stored in glucose. It mostly occurs in tiny parts of
your cells called mitochondria which are found
in the cytoplasm. Cells which need more energy
like sperm cells, which swim, or muscle cells
which contract and relax, have more
mitochondria.
Inhaling Exhaling
Diaphragm Contracts and moves downwards Relaxes and moves upwards
Intercostal Contract, moving the ribs Relax, letting the ribs move
muscles upwards and outwards downwards and inwards

Volume of ribcage Increases Decreases

Pressure inside the Decreases below atmospheric Increases above atmospheric

chest pressure pressure
Movement of air Moves into the lungs Moves out of the lungs

Did you know?

‘Aerobic’ does not mean ‘in air’
even though they sound the
same. It means 'in the presence
of oxygen.'