- "The respiratory system (also respiratory apparatus, ventilatory system) is a biological system consisting of specific organs and structures used for gas exchange in animals and plants."
This topic covers the structure and function of the lungs and airways, including the mechanics of breathing, gas exchange, and the regulation of pH in the blood.
Anatomy of the Respiratory System: The study of the structure and location of the various organs and tissues that make up the respiratory system.
Physiology of Respiration: The study of the underlying mechanisms that allow the respiratory system to function, including the various processes involved in gas exchange.
Respiratory System Functions: An overview of the key functions of the respiratory system, including respiration, gas exchange, and regulation of blood pH.
Respiratory System Histology: The study of the microscopic structure and organization of the various tissues that make up the respiratory system, including the lungs, trachea, and bronchi.
Respiratory System Embryology: The study of the development and formation of the respiratory system in the human embryo and fetus.
Respiratory System Pathology: The study of respiratory diseases and disorders, including lung cancer, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Respiratory System Pharmacology: The study of drugs used to treat respiratory diseases and disorders, including bronchodilators and corticosteroids.
Pulmonary Function Testing: The use of various tests and procedures to measure the function of the lungs in patients with respiratory disorders.
Respiratory System Imaging: The use of imaging techniques such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRIs to visualize the structures and functions of the respiratory system.
Respiratory System Surgery: The use of surgical procedures to treat respiratory diseases and disorders, including lung transplantation and lung cancer surgery.
Respiratory System Mechanics: The study of the physical principles and mechanics that govern the movement of air through the respiratory system.
Respiratory System Control: The study of the various neural and hormonal factors that regulate the function of the respiratory system, including the role of the brain and nervous system.
Respiratory System Microbiology: The study of the microorganisms that can colonize and infect the respiratory system, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Respiratory System Immunology: The study of the immune system's response to respiratory pathogens and the role of the respiratory system in immune function.
Respiratory System Environmental Health: The study of how environmental factors such as pollutants and allergens can affect the respiratory system and contribute to respiratory diseases and disorders.
- "The anatomy and physiology that make this happen varies greatly, depending on the size of the organism, the environment in which it lives, and its evolutionary history."
- "In land animals, the respiratory surface is internalized as linings of the lungs."
- "Gas exchange in the lungs occurs in millions of small air sacs; in mammals and reptiles these are called alveoli."
- "In birds they are known as atria."
- "These microscopic air sacs have a very rich blood supply, thus bringing the air into close contact with the blood."
- "These air sacs communicate with the external environment via a system of airways, or hollow tubes, of which the largest is the trachea."
- "The trachea branches in the middle of the chest into the two main bronchi."
- "These enter the lungs where they branch into progressively narrower secondary and tertiary bronchi that branch into numerous smaller tubes, the bronchioles."
- "In birds, the bronchioles are termed parabronchi."
- "Air has to be pumped from the environment into the alveoli or atria by the process of breathing which involves the muscles of respiration."
- "In most fish, and a number of other aquatic animals, the respiratory system consists of gills, which are either partially or completely external organs, bathed in the watery environment."
- "Gas exchange takes place in the gills which consist of thin or very flat filaments and lamellae which expose a very large surface area of highly vascularized tissue to the water."
- "Insects have respiratory systems with very simple anatomical features, and in amphibians even the skin plays a vital role in gas exchange."
- "The respiratory system in plants includes anatomical features such as stomata, that are found in various parts of the plant."