Parts of the Respiratory System

Respiration is the process through which man and animals take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide and water as waste products.

• Respiratory System is made up of different organs that work together in the process of respiration.
• All parts of the Respiratory system helps in the process of respiration.

Main Parts of the Respiratory System

1. Nose
2. Trachea
3. Bronchial Tubes
4. Lungs

Other Parts:

1. Pharynx
2. Larynx
3. Alveoli

The Nose

The nose has two openings called nostrils.  The air enters the nasal passages through the nostrils.

The air that you breathe may not be fit to enter the lungs.  It must be cleaned, warmed, and moistened before it reaches the lungs.  The hairs in your nostrils filter the larger particles of dust and dirt as air enters the nostrils.  The nasal passages are lined with tiny hairs called cilia and a moist tissue lining called mucous membrane.

• The cilia filter the smaller particles of dust and dirt.

• The moist mucous membrane also catches particles of dirt.  It also warms and moistens the incoming air. 

• The tiny blood vessel inside the nose also warm and moisten the passing air.

The Pharynx

            The clean, warm, and moist air travels from the nasal passages to the pharynx.

            The pharynx is found at the back of the throat.  The pharynx seperates into two tubes:

• Esophagus –  leading to the stomach.
• Trachea – leading to the lungs. 
• At the bottom of the pharynx is a flap of cartilage called the epiglottis. 

The epiglottis opens and closes the trachea.  It prevents the food from going to the trachea by closing it during swallowing.  Most of the time, the epiglottis is open to allow the flow of air in the breathing process.

The Larynx

            From the pharynx, the clean air moves down to the larynx.   The Larynx is found at the lower end of the pharynx.  It is the enlarged upper portion of the trachea.  It is also called the voice box.  The larynx contains the vocal cords that vibrate when air passes through them.  The vibration of the vocal cords, together with the movements of the mouth and tongue, produces the sound of your voice.

The Trachea or Windpipe

            The trachea, or windpipe, is a tube about 13 centimeters long.  It is the tube leading to the lungs.  It is a tough, flexible passageway that air can move through all the time.  The trachea lies just in front of the esophagus at the lower part of the larynx.

            Like the nasal passages, the inner wall of the trachea is lined with cilia.  The cilia catch the dust particles that reach the windpipe.  The dust particles are then pushed out and up toward the throat and mouth for expulsion.  This explains why one coughs or sneezes when dirt gets into the upper respiratory tract.  The lower end of the trachea branches into two large tubes called the bronchi.

The Lungs

            The Lungs are the main organs for breathing.  The left bronchus leads to the left lung while the right bronchus leads to the right lung.

            Inside the lungs, each bronchus divides into smaller tubes called bronchial rami.  The bronchial rami branches off further into smaller tubes called bronchial tubes or bronchioles.  At the ends of these bronchioles are the tiny air sacs called alveoli.

            The bronchioles and alveoli look like the branches of a tree.  The biggest branches are the bronchi.  Bronchi are covered by cilia and a thin film of mucus.  Dust and pollen are trapped by the mucus before they reach the alveoli.

            Each of the lungs contains about 300 million alveoli.  Each alveolus is surrounded by tiny blood vessels called capillaries.  The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide during the breathing process takes place in the capillaries of each alveolus.

The Respiratory Process

            Breathing is the process by which air is taken into the lungs and carbon dioxide is pushed out of the lungs.

            Breathing involves two parts.  Breathing in is called inhaling, and breathing out is called exhaling or expiration.  When you inhale, you fill your lungs with air.  When you exhale, you push air with more carbon dioxide out of the lungs.

            The lungs, being important and delicate organs, are protected by a set of bones called the rib cage.  The rib cage forms the chest cavity where the lungs are found.  At the lower portion of the chest cavity is a sheet of muscles called diaphragm.  The diaphragm separates the chest from the abdomen.  Both the rib cage and the diaphragm are important in the breathing process.

            When you inhale, the ribs move upward and outward while the diaphragm moves downward.  The volume of the chest cavity becomes larger.  The pressure inside it is lower that the air pressure outside the body.  Air is drawn into the lungs by the atmospheric pressure outside the body.

            When you exhale, the opposite happens.  The ribs move downward and inward while the diaphragm moves upward.  These actions make the chest cavity smaller.  The pressure in the chest cavity becomes greater than the air outside the body.  This cause the air to rush out of the lungs and out of the body.

Tags: picture of nose, picture of respiratory system, respiration, respiratory process, Respiratory System

Category: Respiratory System