Respiratory System What is the main role of the respiratory system? The respiratory system brings oxygen from the air into the body. It also removes the.

Respiratory System• What is the main

role of the respiratory system?

• The respiratory system brings oxygen from the air into the body.

• It also removes the carbon dioxide (cellular waste) from inside the body.

Respiration• Breathing refers to

the process of inhaling and exhaling air from our lungs.

• Respiration is the process of chemical reactions that occur inside cells in the body.

• Respiration allows cells to release energy.

Body System Teamwork• The respiratory

system works in cooperation with the digestive and circulatory systems.

• The digestive system brings nutrients into the body.

• The respiratory system brings oxygen into your body.

• The circulatory system then takes the nutrients and the oxygen to your cells.

How Does Air Get To The Lungs?

• Air first travels into the body through the nose (or mouth).

• The nasal cavity contains mucus, which warms, moistens, and cleans the air we breathe.

• Inside of the nose are cilia, which are hair-like. They push the mucus back to the esophagus.

How Does Air Get To The Lungs?

• From the nasal cavity, air flows back through the pharynx (throat) and trachea (windpipe).

• The epiglottis is a small flap of tissue that closes when you swallow, sending food into the esophagus and not into the trachea.

How Does Air Get To The Lungs?

• After the trachea, the air moves into the left and right bronchi, within the lungs.

• The bronchi get smaller and smaller within the lungs until they reach tiny sacs at the very end.

• These structures are called alveoli.

Alveoli• Alveoli are tiny sacs

at the ends of the bronchi.

• There are over 300 million alveoli in the lungs.

• The alveoli are covered with capillaries.

• It is in the alveoli that the gas exchange takes place.

Alveoli & Gas Exchange

• Blood that is low in oxygen and full of carbon dioxide arrives at the alveoli.

• The carbon dioxide is then released from the blood into the alveoli, and exhaled from your body.

Alveoli & Gas Exchange

• At this same time, oxygen that is in the alveoli enters the bloodstream through the capillaries, to be taken back to the heart, then to the rest of the body.

• This is known as gas exchange.

Breathing• Our breathing is

controlled by a muscle called the diaphragm.

• When we inhale, the diaphragm contracts and flattens, allowing us to fill our lungs.

• When we exhale, our diaphragm relaxes, moving upward, causing the air to be pushed out of our lungs.

Smoking• No matter what anybody

tells you……. SMOKING KILLS YOU!

• Tobacco smoke contains tar, carbon monoxide, and nicotine.

• Each of these substances destroys your respiratory system!

Smoking• This is a picture of

two lungs.• The photo on the left

is that of a healthy lung.

• The photo on the right is the lung from a smoker.

• Imagine trying to get oxygen through there??

DON’T SMOKE