- "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."
A study of the organs and structures responsible for breathing, including the nasal cavity, trachea, bronchi, lungs, and diaphragm.
Anatomy of the respiratory system: This topic involves a description of the structures and functions of the respiratory system, including the lungs, alveoli, bronchi, trachea, and diaphragm.
Physiology of respiration: This topic covers the process of respiration, including lung function, gas exchange, and breathing.
Respiratory disorders: This topic includes the most common respiratory disorders, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pneumonia.
Respiratory pharmacology: This topic involves a study of the drugs used to treat respiratory disorders, including bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and antibiotics.
Respiratory system histology: This topic covers the anatomy and function of the respiratory system at the microscopic level, including the arrangement of cells and tissues.
Respiratory system pathology: This topic involves the study of the causes and effects of respiratory system diseases, such as lung cancer, tuberculosis, and emphysema.
Respiratory system imaging: This topic covers the various imaging techniques used to study the respiratory system, including X-rays, CT scans, and MRI.
Pulmonary function tests: This topic involves the study of the various tests used to assess lung function, such as spirometry, peak flow, and diffusion capacity.
Respiratory system structure and function: This topic covers the relationship between the structure and function of the respiratory system, including the role of various organs and tissues in breathing.
Respiratory system development: This topic covers the development of the respiratory system from the embryonic stage to adulthood, including the process of lung maturation and growth.
Respiratory system biomechanics: This topic involves the study of the mechanical properties of the respiratory system, including the effects of air pressure, volume, and flow on lung function.
Respiratory system energetics: This topic covers the energy requirements of the respiratory system and the various metabolic processes involved in respiration, such as cellular respiration and aerobic metabolism.
Gross anatomy: The study of the respiratory system's structures visible to the naked eye, including the trachea, bronchi, lungs, and rib cage.
Microscopic anatomy: Investigating the respiratory system's structures and functions at the cellular and subcellular levels.
Comparative anatomy: The study of the differences and similarities between the respiratory systems of multiple species.
Radiographic anatomy: The use of X-rays and imaging technologies to visualize the respiratory system's internal structure and function.
Surface anatomy: The study of the respiratory system's external landmarks, including the trachea, ribs, and sternum.
Embryonic anatomy: Examining the development and formation of the respiratory system through embryonic stages.
Clinical anatomy: Applying anatomical knowledge to diagnose and treat respiratory system disorders.
Pathological anatomy: Investigating the structure and function of the respiratory system during disease to understand progression, diagnosis, and treatment.
Functional anatomy: Examining the respiratory system's physiological processes, including breathing, oxygenation, and ventilation.
Surgical anatomy: The study of the respiratory system's structure and organization relevant to surgical procedures.
- "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."