Respiratory system

 

drawing of lungs

The main organs of breathing are the lungs; however, breathing also occurs in all cells of the organism. This is why we talk about::

  • internal respiration, or cellular respiration, related to the metabolic processes, consisting in the transfer of oxygen from blood to cells, which in their turn release the carbon dioxide produced as a waste substance into blood;
  • external respiration, commonly known as breathing, linked to pulmonary ventilation, which occurs at the level of the pulmonary alveoli, the end portions of the bronchioles, or the branches into which are divided the bronchi; in the alveoli, the blood takes oxygen from the air which was received to the lungs and releases carbon dioxide gained from the tissues, which is then removed in the breath.
The respiratory movements, inhalation (active phase) and exhalation (passive phase), are due to the activity of the rib cage, diaphragm and abdominal muscles.

> > > Topic: Human Body