- "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 refers to the physical structure and organization of the respiratory system, including the nasal passages, trachea, lungs, and other associated structures.
Overview of the Respiratory System: An introduction to the respiratory system’s function and organs, including the upper and lower respiratory tract.
Nasal Cavity and Sinuses: Understanding the structure and function of the nasal cavity and sinuses, along with their roles in filtering and humidifying air.
Pharynx and Larynx: The pharynx and larynx are the organs involved in vocalization as well as swallowing food.
Trachea and Bronchi: The trachea and bronchi are the vital organs responsible for bringing air into the lungs.
Lungs and Pleura: A detailed overview of the lungs and their surrounding pleural membrane, including alveoli and bronchioles.
Mechanics of Breathing: Understanding the mechanism of breathing, including the regulation of carbon dioxide and oxygen levels and the role of the diaphragm.
Gas Transport: Understanding the transport of gases in the body through the circulatory system, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, and various other respiratory gases.
Control of Respiration: Understanding the brain’s role in controlling respiration and the mechanisms regulating respiratory rhythm.
Respiration and Exercise: Understanding how exercise affects respiration and how the respiratory system responds to physical activity.
Diseases of the Respiratory System: Understanding the common respiratory diseases such as Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), bronchitis, and pneumonia, and their effects on the respiratory system.
Respiratory System Anatomy and Physiological Development: Understanding the changes that occur in the respiratory system throughout the stages of life and the anatomical structures involved in respiratory development.
Imaging Techniques: Understanding imaging techniques used to examine the respiratory system, including X-Rays, CT scan, and MRI.
Respiratory System Pharmacology: Understanding the drugs used to treat respiratory diseases and their mechanisms of action.
Occupational and Environmental Respiratory Hazards: Understanding the causes and effects of occupational and environmental respiratory hazards and the resulting diseases and illness.
Physiology of Altitude: Understanding the effects of high altitude on the respiratory system and how the body adapts to this altitude.
Nasal Cavity: The nasal cavity is a space inside the nose that is lined with mucous membrane, and it plays an important role in filtering, moistening, and warming the air before it reaches the lungs.
Pharynx: The pharynx, or the throat, is a muscular tube that connects the nasal cavity to the larynx and the esophagus.
Larynx: The larynx, or the voice box, is a structure that sits at the top of the trachea and contains the vocal cords, which are responsible for producing sound.
Trachea: The trachea, or windpipe, is a tube composed of cartilage rings and smooth muscle that carries air from the larynx into the lungs.
Bronchi: The bronchi are two large tubes that branch off from the trachea and lead into the lungs.
Alveoli: The alveoli are small air sacs that are located at the ends of the bronchioles and are responsible for oxygenation and carbon dioxide removal.
Pleura: The pleura is a membranous sac that covers the lungs and lines the chest cavity.
Diaphragm: The diaphragm is a sheet of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity and is responsible for respiratory function.
Bronchioles: The bronchioles are smaller tubes that branch off from the bronchi and lead into the alveoli.
Respiratory muscles: The respiratory muscles, including the diaphragm and other muscles of the chest wall, play an important role in the process of breathing.
- "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."