The Respiratory System

By: Lindsey Fischer

and

Danielle Frezza

Why is breathing important to staying alive?

• You can only live for a few minutes without air. We need air to survive, because it contains oxygen. Oxygen is a gas which our bodies need to maintain life.

What does smoking do to your respiratory system?

• Smoking can cause many problems in your respiratory system. Bronchitis, emphysema, and lung cancer can be caused by smoking. Also, smoking can destroy your alveoli.

What is the Respiratory System?

• It controls all of your breathing.

• Consists of organs that provide the body with continuous supply of oxygen and remove all carbon dioxide from body.

• Lungs are most important organs

Parts of Respiratory System

• Mouth and nose - air enters through them

• Epiglottis –flap of tissue that closes over trachea when you swallow

• Larynx –contains vocal cords

• Bronchi –passageways for air to enter the lungs.

• Throat- Two passageways. One for air, and one for food

• Trachea –directs air to lungs

• Lungs –oxygen is transferred into blood and carbon dioxide is taken away

• Diaphragm –Large dome-shaped muscle that separates lungs from abdomen.

• Alveoli –Clusters of microscopic air sacs in lungs. Sacs at ends of smallest branches of bronchi.

How does Respiratory System Work?

• Two important jobs1.Supplies oxygen to blood– Oxygen carried to all cells in body – Combines with nutrients to provide energy

2.Removes carbon dioxide from blood

--Releases it outside body

How does breathing work?

• Two actions-inhaling and exhalingInhaling

-Bring in air from outside through nose and mouth-Diaphragm contracts and moves down- Ribs move out and up increasing size of chest cavity

Exhaling-Contains more carbon dioxide and less oxygen than air you inhale-Release air to outside and carbon dioxide-Diaphragm relaxes and moves up into chest cavity-Ribs move in and down making chest cavity smaller

Lungs

• Consist of microscopic air sacs called alveoli

• In alveoli carbon dioxide and oxygen is exchanged

• Oxygen goes into blood and carbon dioxide is taken away

Exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide with circulatory and

respiratory system• Pulmonary arteries and capillaries (circulatory

system) take blood containing carbon dioxide from heart to lungs

• Carbon dioxide passes from blood to alveoli• In alveoli it’s exchanged for oxygen• Oxygen passes into capillaries• Picked up by blood and carried back to heart

through pulmonary veins (circulatory)

Problems of Respiratory System

• Common site of infection

• Many germs enter nose and mouth

Diseases or Disorders

• Flu/cold- caused by virus; cough, runny nose, aches, fever

• Tuberculosis-bacterial lung infection. Dry cough earlier, then chest pains

• Allergies-Caused by reaction to substances

• Pneumonia-Lung infection by bacteria or virus

• Bed rest and fluids Flu vaccine prevents some kinds

• Medication

• Antihistamines may relieve symptoms. Avoid substances

• Antibiotics for bacterial kind; bed rest for viral kind

Diseases or Disorders

• Bronchitis-swelling of bronchi due to infection

• Asthma-Bronchial swelling and blockage

• Emphysema-Alveoli destroyed difficult to breath, fatal

• Lung Cancer-Alveoli destroyed. Caused by smoking

• No cure. After time symptoms disappear.

• No cure. Medications reduce swelling

• No cure. Pure oxygen eases breathing

• Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. Low survival rate.