The Respiratory System

What Components Make up the Respiratory System?

Well, there are a few parts of our body that are linked with the respiratory system. They include:

• the windpipe (trachea)
• bronchi
• bronchioles
• the lungs
• alveoli

What are the Lungs?

Both different sizes, due to the fact that there are other organs within the ribcage, the lungs are made up of areas called lobes. Your left lung is smaller than your right lung, due to needing space for your heart. The lungs are made up of muscle tissue that allow for expansion and contraction for when we breathe.

So, how does it work?

Our brain automatically tells us to breathe in, and breathe out. Look, you're doing it again. No? Right, enough of that then.

We are on an autopilot when it comes to breathing and our blood flow. The breathing interacts with the circulatory system, and likewise the other way. For it to function properly, they need to work together.

When the lungs fill with air, they quickly process the oxygen in the air to get ready for deoxygenated blood to take it on. Then when we breathe out, we exhale the carbon dioxide and other waste gases from our body as a result.

Inside our lungs, we have small airway 'tubes' that are covered with mucus. This is a good thing, as this mucus helps to trap the dirt and germs in the air as we breathe in. This is then moved away from the lungs by small, hairlike structures called cilia. They move the dirty mucus away from the bronchioles, which are the smaller tubes in your lungs. A condition called Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that stops this from happening.

Interesting fact: the right lung is 3-lobed and the left lung is bi-lobed. This is because the left lung sits in front of the heart, making it slightly smaller.

Here is a YouTube video from National Geographic on the lungs:

The Diaphragm

Situated directly below the lungs, the diaphragm is a domed sheet of muscle that contracts and expands to allow us to breathe in and breathe out, respectively. Without this, the lungs would not be able to function properly, and can cause conditions of illness to arise.

Alveoli - What are They?

Alveoli are inside the lungs. They are at the end of the bronchials, which are the pipes within the lungs transporting oxygen and other gases when we breathe. The alveoli serve to process oxygen to the circulatory system. They store the oxygen and allow it to be taken by haemoglobinSituated within red blood cells. that are deoxygenated.

Word Equation for Respiration

Yes, there's a word equation for respiration. You know that when you breathe in, you don't just breathe in oxygen, and also that you don't just breathe out carbon dioxide. So, there's an equation for what happens when you do breathe.

Glucose + Oxygen  Carbon Dioxide + Water (+ Energy)

The end result is that you produce energy from this as well. For the actual formula of the equation, it is:

C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O2  6H₂O + 6CO₂ (+ ENERGY)

Aerobic Respiration

This is a process that happens when we breathe. To make energy, we need oxygen to help our body process it. Looking at the respiration equation, we know that we use glucose and oxygen to give out carbon dioxide and water. This then results in the production of energy.

Our glucose comes from the food in our diet, whereas the oxygen is taken from when we breathe in. Then when we breathe out, we also breathe out tiny droplets of water along with the carbon dioxide.

Anaerobic Respiration

When we can't breathe in enough air allowing for aerobic respiration, our body turns to anaerobic respiration, which doesn't need oxygen to create energy. Instead, it uses glucose from the food we eat, and turns it into energy. However, this is not as much energy as we continually need, and it also produces a lot of lactic acid, which, given enough of can then harm our body if it is not removed quickly.

The word equation for anaerobic respiration is:

Glucose  Lactic Acid + Energy

C₆H₁₂O₆  2C₃H₆0₃ + Energy

Oxygen Debt

So, you've been working hard, and you've done a lot of anaerobic respiration. As a result, you need to recoup some of the oxygen your body has lost. This is known as oxygen debt. To recoup, you need to breathe in and out larger and quicker than normal so that more oxygen can be restored to the places that need it.

Lung Diseases

There are a few disease you can have where the lungs are concerned.

Cancer: this is something that can be caused naturally, or also through excessive smoking. Actually, even if you smoke one cigarette, you increase your chances of getting it, so don't do it.

Pneumonia: a condition that can develop quickly over 24 to 48 hours, and common symptoms include difficulty breathing, high temperature, rapid heartbeat, sweating or shivers, and loss of appetite. It is swelling of the tissue in one or both lungs.

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease): this is a narrowing or complete blockage of the bronchials. It is common with excessive smokers, and is also linked to Asthmatics.

Asthma: a lung condition that limits the airways in your system. It can be controlled, and children can also grow out of it in adult life. It is controlled by inhalers or ventilators.

Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1): this is a genetic condition passed down from parent to child, so although it is not something you can 'catch', it is a serious lung condition that restricts what you can do. People with this condition will usually need a lung transplant (or two!), but it can be controlled and lived with if given the right conditions.