How Does Air Pass Through The Respiratory System?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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When you inhale through your nose or mouth, air travels down the

pharynx

(back of the throat), passes through your larynx (voice box) and into your trachea (windpipe). Your trachea is divided into 2 air passages called bronchial tubes. One bronchial tube leads to the left lung, the other to the right lung.

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What is the difference between the upper and lower respiratory tracts?

The upper respiratory tract includes

the nose, pharynx, and larynx

. The lower respiratory tract consists of the trachea, bronchial tree, and lungs. These tracts open to the outside and are lined with mucous membranes. In some regions, the membrane has hairs that help filter the air.

What conveys air between the upper and lower respiratory?


The Bronchi

Are Passageways That Bring Air In and Out of the Lungs. The tubes of the primary bronchi branch off from the bottom of the trachea. These branches subdivide further into secondary and tertiary bronchi and then into the bronchioles.

What makes up the lower respiratory system?

The major passages and structures of the lower respiratory tract include

the windpipe (trachea) and within the lungs, the bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli

. Deep in the lungs, each bronchus divides into secondary and tertiary bronchi, which continue to branch to smaller airways called the bronchioles.

What triggers inhalation and exhalation?

When

the diaphragm contracts

, it moves down towards the abdomen. This movement of the muscles causes the lungs to expand and fill with air, like a bellows (inhalation). Conversely, when the muscles relax, the thoracic cavity gets smaller, the volume of the lungs decreases, and air is expelled (exhalation).

What are air sacs?

Air sacs are found as

tiny sacs off the larger breathing tubes (tracheae) of insects

, as extensions of the lungs in birds, and as end organs in the lungs of certain other vertebrates. They serve to increase respiratory efficiency by providing a large surface area for gas exchange. See also pulmonary alveolus.

How the movement of the diaphragm helps the air go in and out of the lungs?

Upon inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and flattens and the chest cavity enlarges. This contraction creates a vacuum, which pulls air into the lungs. Upon exhalation, the

diaphragm relaxes and returns

to its domelike shape, and air is forced out of the lungs.

What are the lower airways?

The lower airways or lower respiratory tract includes

the portion of the larynx below the vocal folds, trachea, bronchi and bronchioles

. The lungs can be included in the lower respiratory tract or as separate entity and include the respiratory bronchioles, alveolar ducts, alveolar sacs, and alveoli.

What is difference between inhalation and exhalation?

During inhalation, the lungs expand with air and oxygen diffuses across the lung’s surface, entering the bloodstream. During exhalation, the

lungs expel air and lung volume decreases

.

Which of these occurs during exhalation?

When the

lungs

exhale, the diaphragm relaxes, and the volume of the thoracic cavity decreases, while the pressure within it increases. As a result, the lungs contract and air is forced out.

What are air sacs surrounded by?

Inhaled air passes through tiny ducts from the bronchioles into elastic air sacs (alveoli). The alveoli are surrounded by

the alveolar-capillary membrane

, which normally prevents liquid in the capillaries from entering the air sacs.

Are air sacs and alveoli the same?

Alveoli are

tiny air sacs in your lungs

that take up the oxygen you breathe in and keep your body going. Although they’re microscopic, alveoli are the workhorses of your respiratory system.

What is the difference between inhaled and exhaled air?

Inhaled air has the same composition as

normal air

, it contains: 78% nitrogen 21% oxygen 1% inert gas such as argon 0.04% carbon dioxide little water vapour Exhaled air contains less oxygen and more carbon dioxide, it is also saturated with water vapour.

What is the function of the anterior air sacs in the respiratory system of birds?

The air sacs

permit a unidirectional flow of air through the lungs

. Unidirectional flow means that air moving through bird lungs is largely ‘fresh’ air and has a higher oxygen content. Therefore, in bird lungs, more oxygen is available to diffuse into the blood.

How does the movement of the diaphragm represented by the balloon at the bottom cause the air to go in and out of the lungs?

The balloon at the bottom works like your diaphragm—a strong muscle that expands and contracts to cause your lungs to fill with air and then empty out again. The movement of the balloon

matches your breathing

– when you breathe in, your lungs fill with air just like the balloon inside the bottle did.

What is the role of diaphragm and ribs in respiration?


The diaphragm relaxes during natural exhalation

, helping the air to pass out as the lungs deflate. Like the diaphragm, the ribs shield the lungs and expand while we inhale to promote room for the lungs to expand. Then the ribs contract, expelling the air from the lungs.

What is the function of the diaphragm quizlet?

The diaphragm is the muscle that

controls the breathing process

. As the diaphragm flattens it causes the chest to expand and air is sucked into the lungs. When the diaphragm relaxes, the chest collapses and the air in the lungs is forced out.

What happens to the thorax during exhalation?

The lung model shows exhalation: When

the diaphragm (rubber sheet) moves up, the volume inside the glass jar (thorax) decreases

. This decrease in volume causes an increase in pressure. The lungs (balloons) deflate as air exits until the pressures inside and outside are equal.

What are the actions of exhalation?

Upon exhalation,

the lungs recoil to force the air out of the lungs

. The intercostal muscles relax, returning the chest wall to its original position. During exhalation, the diaphragm also relaxes, moving higher into the thoracic cavity.

Which of these occur during exhalation quizlet?

Which of the following occurs during exhalation?

Negative pressure in the lungs increases

. The diaphragm contracts and flattens out. Intercostal muscles elevate the ribs.

What contains inhaled air?

Air is inhaled and exhaled

nitrogen – 78

% oxygen

-21% other gases – 1% carbon dioxide – 0.04%.

Which of the two air or exhaled air has more carbon dioxide?

The carbon dioxide in exhaled air is more-or-less 4% and the percentage of water vapour is also higher than in inhaled air. There is a very simple experiment that we can do to prove that exhaled air contains more carbon dioxide than inhaled air.

Which part of the respiratory system is surrounded by capillaries?

Each small tube ends in clusters of thin-walled air sacs, called

alveoli

. It is the alveoli that receive the oxygen and pass it on to the blood. The alveoli are surrounded by tiny blood vessels, called capillaries.

What are the two phases of ventilation?

Breathing (or pulmonary ventilation) has two phases –

inspiration (or inhalation) and expiration (or exhalation)

. It is a mechanical process that depends on volume changes in the chest cavity.

What organs are in the upper respiratory tract?

The major passages and structures of the upper respiratory tract include the

nose or nostrils, nasal cavity, mouth, throat (pharynx), and voice box (larynx)

. The respiratory system is lined with a mucous membrane that secretes mucus.

What hypercapnia mean?

Hypercapnia is

a buildup of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream

. It affects people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

What are anterior air sacs?

Instead, the

spent air from the lungs

enters anterior (forward) air sacs. … Furthermore, fresh air passes over the gas exchange surfaces during both inhalation and exhalation, resulting in a constant supply of fresh air enabling the bird to experience a near-continuous state of gas exchange within the lungs.

In which of the following are air sacs connected to the lungs?

Air sacs are connected to lungs in

Class Aves

.

What are the function of air sacs in pigeon?

i.

The air sacs are not respiratory organs but they

help in respiration

. They act as bellows forcing their air into the lungs for ventilation at each expiration to completely renew the air in the lungs, thus, there is no “dead space” of unrespired air in the lungs.

What are alveolar ducts?

n.

The part of the respiratory passages beyond the respiratory bronchioles

, from which the alveolar sacs and alveoli arise. The smallest of the intralobular ducts in the mammary gland, into which the secretory alveoli open.

What characteristics of alveoli make them suitable for exchanging gases between the blood and the air?

  • they give the lungs a really big surface area.
  • they have moist, thin walls (just one cell thick)
  • they have a lot of tiny blood vessels called capillaries.
Leah Jackson
Author
Leah Jackson
Leah is a relationship coach with over 10 years of experience working with couples and individuals to improve their relationships. She holds a degree in psychology and has trained with leading relationship experts such as John Gottman and Esther Perel. Leah is passionate about helping people build strong, healthy relationships and providing practical advice to overcome common relationship challenges.