Brief Description
Our respiratory system is what allows us to breathe and their organs exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen. The system works together with the circulatory system to pump oxygen - rich blood to all cells in the body. The system has two major parts: the external respiration, also known as breathing, and the internal respiration, which involves bringing air to the lungs (inhalation) and releasing it to the atmosphere (exhalation)
Function
As we can say, the function of the respiratory system is to bring air into all our body cells and organs. Keeping us alive isn't the only function of this system, but also to get rid, and expel all carbon dioxide matter inside our body. Oxygen in the air diffuses out of the lungs and into the blood, while the carbon dioxide diffuses on the opposite way, out of the blood and into the lungs, which will then get them out
Organs Involved
There are lots of parts in the respiratory system, like: nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi and lungs. But on each of those there are more parts, which are the following:
Nasal cavity, Epiglottis, Pulmonary blood vessels, and the upper, middle, and lower lobes. BUT, there are more parts inside some of them, like: Bronchiole, Terminal bronchiole, Respiratory bronchiole, Capillary beds, and the Alveoli.
Interesting Facts
- An average breathing per minute for a person is from 12 to 20 breaths per minute, and a higher or lower breaths per minute is considered abnormal.
- Lungs aren't the same size, to accommodate the heart, the right lung is larger than the left lung.
- Lungs float on water, and they are the only organ capable of doing this.
- If a lung is opened flat it can get to measure about a tennis court.
- Children and women have a higher breathing rate than men.
- Humans exhale up to 17.5 milliliters of water per hour
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General Introduction to the Body System
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