The Respiratory System

In this lesson, you will Learn About…

The parts of the respiratory system.

How the breathing process works.

Illnesses that can damage the respiratory

system.

The Respiratory System

The Vocabulary terms in this lesson are:

Respiratory system.

Trachea.

Bronchi.

Diaphragm.

Oxygen for Life

Your body cannot survive without the oxygen you take in every time you take a breath.

The respiratory system is a set of organs that supplies the body with oxygen and rids the body of carbon dioxide.

Parts of the Respiratory System

LungsTwo large organs that exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide

Trachea

Tube in throat that takes air to and from lungs. Also called the windpipe

EpiglottisFlap of tissue in back of mouth that covers the trachea to prevent food from entering it

Diaphragm

Large dome-shaped muscle below the lungs that expands and relaxes to produce breathing

Bronchi Two tubes that branch from the trachea; one tube leads to each lung

Nose/MouthPassages for air; nose lined with cilia (tiny hairlike projections)

How Breathing Works

Breathing consists of three main stages:

1. When you inhale, you take air into your lungs.

2. Inside the lungs, oxygen from the air enters the bloodstream and replaces the carbon dioxide that must leave your body.

3. When you exhale, you breathe out the carbon dioxide.

The Breathing Process

The bronchi divide into smaller passages called bronchioles. Air passes through the bronchioles into the alveoli, which are surrounded by capillaries. Here the oxygen in the air moves into your bloodstream, and carbon dioxide from the blood enters the alveoli.

Your diaphragm pushes up, and your ribs move in and down, forcing air out of your lungs. The air, now containing carbon dioxide, moves back through the bronchioles and bronchi, up the trachea, and out through the nose or mouth.

Your diaphragm moves down and your rib cage expands, creating more room in your chest. This causes air to rush into your body. The air enters through the nose or mouth, then moves past the epiglottis and into the trachea and bronchi.

1 Inhaling

3 Exhaling

Bronchiole

Alveoli

Pulmonary artery

Pulmonary vein

Capillaries

2 Inside the Lungs

Problems of the Respiratory System

The following factors can easily damage the many complex parts of the respiratory system:

Germs Tobacco smoke Inhaled chemicals Environmental pollution

Problems of the Respiratory System (cont’d.)

Disease or Disorder

Description Treatment

Cold/Flu

Asthma

Diseases caused by viruses; symptoms include runny nose, cough, fever, aches

Bed rest and fluids; vaccines can prevent some types of flu

Bacterial or viral disease that affects the lungs; symptoms include fever, chest pain, breathing difficulty

Antibiotics for bacterial type; bedrest for viral type

Pneumonia

Disease in which airways narrow; symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing

Medication to relieve symptoms; avoiding activities or substances that trigger attacks

Problems of the Respiratory System (cont’d.)

Disease or Disorder

Description Treatment

Tuberculosis

Emphysema

Bacterial disease that affects the lungs; symptoms include cough, fatigue; can be fatal

Antibiotics

Disease in which alveoli harden and disintegrate; symptoms include extreme difficulty breathing; almost entirely caused by smoking

No known cure; pure oxygen can make breathing easier

Lung Cancer Uncontrolled growth of cells that produce abnormally in lungs;often caused by smoking

Surgery, radiation,and medication; Survival rates are very low

Caring for Your Respiratory System

Here are some simple tips to care for your respiratory system:

Do not smoke. Avoid people and situations that would expose

you to tobacco smoke in the air. Take care of your body when you have cold,

flu, or any other respiratory illness. When a person who has a cold sneezes, the discharge

is full of live viruses which can live for as long as 3 hours on surfaces & skin. You can inhale the viruses without realizing it. So, if you touch the skin of a person who has a cold or another surface that they have touched, then the viruses can be transmitted to your own nose if you touch your face.

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Reviewing Terms and Facts

1. The _______________ is a set of organs that supplies your body with oxygen and rids your body of carbon dioxide.

respiratory system

Reviewing Terms and Facts

2. List the parts of the respiratory system through which air passes when you inhale.

Nose/Mouth Trachea Bronchi Lungs

Thinking Critically

3. How do cilia and the epiglottis protect the respiratory system?

Cilia trap dirt and particles from the air and prevent them from entering the respiratory system. The epiglottis covers the trachea to prevent food from entering it.

Vocabulary Review

The respiratory system is a set of organs that supplies the body with oxygen and rids the body of carbon dioxide.

Vocabulary Review

The trachea is a tube in the throat that takes air to and from lungs.

Vocabulary Review

The bronchi are two tubes that branch from the trachea; one tube leads to each lung.

Vocabulary Review

The diaphragm is a large dome-shaped muscle below the lungs that expands and relaxes to produce breathing.