The Human Respiratory System

The respiratory system, which includes air passages, pulmonary vessels, the lungs,
and breathing muscles, aids the body in the exchange of gases between the air and blood, and
exchange.
In addition to air distribution and gas exchange, the respiratory system filters, warms,
and humidifies the air you breathe. Organs in the respiratory system also play a role in speech
and the sense of smell.
Moreover, between the blood and the body’s billions of cells. Most of the organs of
the respiratory system help to distribute air, but only the tiny, grape-like alveoli and the
alveolar ducts are responsible for actual gas exchange. Respiratory system also helps the
body maintain homeostasis, or balance among the many elements of the body’s internal
environment.

Parts of the Human Respiratory System

mou
 The respiratory system is divided into two main components- the upper respiratory
tract and the lower respiratory tract.
Upper Respiratory Tract: The organs of the upper respiratory tract are located outside the
chest cavity and are composed of the nose, mouth, pharynx, and larynx.
NOSE: The nose is the primary airway used to breathe.
MOUTH: The mouth is used as an alternative airway when the nasal pathway (nose) is
blocked due to illness or trauma.
SINUSES: These air-filled spaces alongside the nose help make the skull lighter.
PHARYNX (Throat): The pharynx is the area behind the tongue at the very back of the
mouth. It allows the movement of air from the nose and mouth to the larynx in the process of
breathing.
EPIGLOTTIS: It is the part that covers the opening of the trachea. It acts as a "trap door"
which closes when swallowing to prevent food from entering the lower airway.
LARYNX (Voice box): It connect the pharynx and trachea.

Lower Respiratory Tract: The organs of the lower respiratory tract are located inside the
chest cavity and are composed of the trachea, lungs, and all segments of the bronchial tree
(bronchi, bronchioles including the alveoli).
TRACHEA (Wind Pipe): The trachea is a hollow tube which passes air to the lower airways,
it is the main airway to the lungs. The trachea sits in front of the esophagus. It is supported by
cartilage rings.
LUNGS: The lungs are a pair of spongy, air-filled organs located on either side of the chest
(thorax).
BRONCHI: The bronchi are hollow tubes that branch off of the trachea into each lung and
create the network of intricate passages that supply the lungs with air. These structures are
supported by cartilage rings.
BRONCHIOLES: The bronchioles are smaller than bronchi and lie between the bronchi and
the alveoli, they differ from the bronchi in that they do not have cartilage rings, and stay open
via smooth muscle. These transfer air to the alveoli.
ALVEOLI (Air Sacs): The alveoli are the millions of thin-walled sacs inside the lungs
which are surrounded by microscopic blood vessels (capillaries). The thin walls and a
significant amount of blood flow allow oxygen and carbon dioxide to be easily exchanged.
The alveoli are the end of the airway.
DIAPHRAGM: The diaphragm is the main respiratory muscle that contracts and relaxes to
allow air into the lungs.
 Phases in Human Respiration

Figure 1 Figure 2

Image Source: Wikipedia

Image Source: Microbiology Notes

Respiration involves several functions such as oxidation of food by living cells;

transport of oxygen to the body cells and the removal of carbon dioxide from the lungs;
exchange of gases between your blood and lungs, and the breathing process.
Your respiratory system allows the exchange of gases to occur with two important
phases involved: external respiration and internal respiration.
External respiration is the exchange of gases between the atmosphere and the blood.
This involves the lungs. Internal respiration is the exchange of gases between the blood and
body tissues. It occurs in every living cell.

What is the normal rate of your breathing? Infants breathe 30 to 40 cycles per
minute(cpm) At about six years of age, the breathing rate slows down to about 22 times a
minute. At your age, until you are about 25, the rate is further slowed down, about 16 to 18
cycles per minute (cpm). An exception is when you are an athlete or when you engage in hard
work. Your breathing rate in such cases will be higher.
 The Human Breathing System

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Image Source: Slideshare Image Source: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Life depends on breathing because the body cells need oxygen. Oxygen is one of the
mixtures of gases found in the air. During inspiration, you breathe in or inhale to bring a fresh
supply of air into your lungs. During expiration, you breathe out or exhale to get rid of carbon
dioxide or waste gases not needed by your body.
How does your body use up oxygen and give off carbon dioxide? Breathe in and out.
Notice your chest and belly moving and feel the soft air passing from the nose. Listen to the
quiet sounds of breathing in and out. Imagine the air moving from the nose into the throat,
through the air tubes, and into the airsacs.
The air we breathe goes through the nose, nasal passages, and then through the
trachea or windpipe, which separates into two branches, called bronchial tubes or bronchi,
one entering each lung. The bronchi subdivide many times inside the lungs, finally becoming
hairlike tubes called bronchioles. In the last part of the terminal bronchioles are tiny bubble –
like bunch of structures called alveoli or airsacs.
When you breathe in or inhale, the diaphragm muscle contracts. Inhaling moves the
diaphragm down and expands the chest cavity(See figures 1 and 2) Simultaneously, the ribs
move up and increase the size of the chest cavity. There is now more space and less air
pressure inside the lungs. Air pushes in from the outside where there is higher air pressure. It
pushes into the lungs where there is lower air pressure.
When you breathe out or exhale, the diaphragm muscle relaxes. The diaphragm and
ribs return to their original place. The chest cavity returns to its original size (See figure 3).
There is now less space and greater air pressure inside the lungs. It pushes the air outside
where there is lower air pressure.
 The Circulatory System

Image Source: Cardiovascular System

| UNM TAOS CLOUD taos.unm.edu
The circulatory system is the main transport system of the human body that nourishes
your cells with nutrients from the food you eat and oxygen from the air you breathe. Another
name for the circulatory system is the cardiovascular system. It is made up of the heart,
blood vessels namely veins, arteries, and capillaries and blood.
3 TYPES OF CIRCULATION
Pulmonary Circulation, blood travels from the heart to the lungs and back to the heart.
Coronary circulation involves the journey of blood through the tissues of the heart while
Systemic Circulation includes the passage of the blood from the heart to the different parts
of the body, excluding the lungs.
 The Human Heart

The heart is a fist-sized, muscular

organ that pumps blood through the body. It
has four chambers - the two ventricles and
the two atria. Each chamber has specific
tasks to do. The upper chambers are the atria
(atrium singular), the receiving chambers,
that get blood coming in from the veins while
the lower chambers are the ventricles, the
pumping chambers, that force the blood out
into the arteries. Accepting blood from the
body is the right atrium while blood from
the lungs is received by the left atrium. The
right ventricle sends blood to the lungs. On
the other hand, the left ventricle gives to
tissues all over the body.
Located between an atrium and a
ventricle is a valve. It prevents the blood from
flowing backwards. The valves are like one- Image Source: Cardiology:
way doors that keep the blood moving in only one Basic Physiology of the Heart
direction. Valves control movement of blood into and Mechanisms of Its Actions
the heart chambers and out to the aorta and the
pulmonary artery.
 Blood Flow
The heart pumps blood that circulates throughout the body. Oxygen-poor blood enters the
right atrium of the heart (via veins called inferior vena cava and the superior vena cava). The
blood is then pumped into the right ventricle and then to the lungs through the pulmonary artery,
where the blood is enriched with oxygen (and loses carbon dioxide). The oxygen -rich
(oxygenated) blood is then carried back to the left atrium of the heart via the pulmonary vein. The
blood is then sent to the left ventricle, then to the various parts of the body through the aorta. This
cycle is then repeated. Everyday, the heart pumps about 2,000 gallons (7,600 liters) of blood and
beats about 100,000 times.