The Respiratory System
WHAT IS IT?
The respiratory system is one of the most vital body systems with the most significant function. Not only does the system deliver oxygen to the body, but it also removes toxic waste and carbon dioxide waste, controls body temperature, stabilizes blood pH balance and involves gas exchanges.
WHAT IS A PART OF IT?
The respiratory system is an intricate system made up mainly of the lungs, trachea, bronchi and the diaphragm.
FUNCTIONS OF EACH PART
The Lungs
The lungs provide oxygen to the capillaries. Your lungs expand and contrast, supplying life-sustaining oxygen to your body and removing from it, a waste product called carbon dioxide. Your trachea or windpipe connects your voicebox to your right lung and left lung. There are bronchial tubes that pass through the lungs, they divide into small air passages called bronchi. The lungs are found in the chest and expand from above the clavicle or collarbone to the middle of the ribs. At the back of the chest the lungs finish around the tenth rib. The lungs main function is to help oxygen from the air we breathe enter red blood cells. Red blood cells then carry oxygen around the body to be used in the cells found in our organs and tissues. The lungs also help the body to get rid of carbon dioxide when we breathe out.
Other jobs carried at by the lungs that include:
1. Changing the ph of the blood by increasing or decreasing the amount of coz in the body.
2. Filtering out small gas bubbles that may occur in the bloodstream.
3. Filtering out small blood dots formed in veins
4. Converting a chemical in the blood called
Disorders of the Lungs:
1. asthma
2. bronchial disease
3. bronchitis
4. cancer of the lung by smoking
MLA Format Citation:
WebMD. "How the Lungs and Respiratory System Work." WebMD. 2005. . 2005-2014. <www.m.webmd.com/a-to-zguides/how-we-breathe>.
Dr Tim Kenny Dr Beverley Kenny. "The Lungs and Respiratory Tract." Patient.co.uk. 1997. PiP (Patient Information Publications). December 2002.
The Trachea
Also called the windpipe, the trachea allows air to pass between the larynx and bronchi.
The Diaphragm
The diaphragm expands the lungs during respiration
RESPIRATORY DISEASES
Causes
A respiratory disease can be caused from a variety of things such as
inhalation of toxic agents, smoking, respiratory infections, genetic factors, etc.
Diseases
Asthma
Emphysema
COPD
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
and many more
Asthma
Asthma is the swelling of the airways along with increased production of mucus causing difficulty in breathing.
Symptoms
Asthma is diagnosed by a the results of a series of tests, a physical exam, family and medical histories, etc.
Emphysema
Emphysema is characterized by the presence of lung damage, usually caused by smoking. There are air pockets in the lungs, causing it to be difficult to exhale.
Symptoms
Symptoms of emphysema are also shared with asthma, making it harder t to diagnose.
Doctors diagnose emphysema by beginning with recognizing shortness of breath in a person with a smoking history. With a physical exam, they notice the enlargement of the lungs through the chest, decreased breathing noise through a stethoscope and hypoxia. They also perform a pulmonary function test (PFT) and measure how much air the lungs can hold, how quickly a person can blow air from their lungs and how much air is left in them afterwards. Doctors also perform chest X-Rays and a CT scan.
COPD
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a disease that makes it hard to breathe and gets worse over time.
Symptoms
As with asthma, a doctor will diagnose you based on a physical exam, medical and family histories and test results.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
ARDS is life-threatening lung disease that is characterized by the prevention of oxygen in getting to the lungs and blood in a sudden manner. It usually develops in a person who is already chronically ill with another disease or extensive injuries.
Symptoms
ARDS is diagnosed by having a doctor listen to the patients lungs for sounds of abnormal breathing. Usually, ARDS is only diagnosed in patients with a chronic illness.
WHAT IS IT?
The respiratory system is one of the most vital body systems with the most significant function. Not only does the system deliver oxygen to the body, but it also removes toxic waste and carbon dioxide waste, controls body temperature, stabilizes blood pH balance and involves gas exchanges.
WHAT IS A PART OF IT?
The respiratory system is an intricate system made up mainly of the lungs, trachea, bronchi and the diaphragm.
FUNCTIONS OF EACH PART
The Lungs
The lungs provide oxygen to the capillaries. Your lungs expand and contrast, supplying life-sustaining oxygen to your body and removing from it, a waste product called carbon dioxide. Your trachea or windpipe connects your voicebox to your right lung and left lung. There are bronchial tubes that pass through the lungs, they divide into small air passages called bronchi. The lungs are found in the chest and expand from above the clavicle or collarbone to the middle of the ribs. At the back of the chest the lungs finish around the tenth rib. The lungs main function is to help oxygen from the air we breathe enter red blood cells. Red blood cells then carry oxygen around the body to be used in the cells found in our organs and tissues. The lungs also help the body to get rid of carbon dioxide when we breathe out.
Other jobs carried at by the lungs that include:
1. Changing the ph of the blood by increasing or decreasing the amount of coz in the body.
2. Filtering out small gas bubbles that may occur in the bloodstream.
3. Filtering out small blood dots formed in veins
4. Converting a chemical in the blood called
Disorders of the Lungs:
1. asthma
2. bronchial disease
3. bronchitis
4. cancer of the lung by smoking
MLA Format Citation:
WebMD. "How the Lungs and Respiratory System Work." WebMD. 2005. . 2005-2014. <www.m.webmd.com/a-to-zguides/how-we-breathe>.
Dr Tim Kenny Dr Beverley Kenny. "The Lungs and Respiratory Tract." Patient.co.uk. 1997. PiP (Patient Information Publications). December 2002.
The Trachea
Also called the windpipe, the trachea allows air to pass between the larynx and bronchi.
The Diaphragm
The diaphragm expands the lungs during respiration
RESPIRATORY DISEASES
Causes
A respiratory disease can be caused from a variety of things such as
inhalation of toxic agents, smoking, respiratory infections, genetic factors, etc.
Diseases
Asthma
Emphysema
COPD
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
and many more
Asthma
Asthma is the swelling of the airways along with increased production of mucus causing difficulty in breathing.
Symptoms
- coughing
- wheezing
- chest tightness
- shortness of breath
Asthma is diagnosed by a the results of a series of tests, a physical exam, family and medical histories, etc.
Emphysema
Emphysema is characterized by the presence of lung damage, usually caused by smoking. There are air pockets in the lungs, causing it to be difficult to exhale.
Symptoms
Symptoms of emphysema are also shared with asthma, making it harder t to diagnose.
- wheezing
- coughing
- chest tightness or pain
- shortness of breath
Doctors diagnose emphysema by beginning with recognizing shortness of breath in a person with a smoking history. With a physical exam, they notice the enlargement of the lungs through the chest, decreased breathing noise through a stethoscope and hypoxia. They also perform a pulmonary function test (PFT) and measure how much air the lungs can hold, how quickly a person can blow air from their lungs and how much air is left in them afterwards. Doctors also perform chest X-Rays and a CT scan.
COPD
COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a disease that makes it hard to breathe and gets worse over time.
Symptoms
- a continuous cough or a cough that produces a lot of mucus
- shortness of breath, especially with physical activity
- wheezing
- chest tightness
- easier risk of getting the flu or a cold
As with asthma, a doctor will diagnose you based on a physical exam, medical and family histories and test results.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
ARDS is life-threatening lung disease that is characterized by the prevention of oxygen in getting to the lungs and blood in a sudden manner. It usually develops in a person who is already chronically ill with another disease or extensive injuries.
Symptoms
- rapid breathing
- low oxygen levels in blood
- low blood pressure
- extreme tiredness
- feeling like you can’t get enough air into your lungs
ARDS is diagnosed by having a doctor listen to the patients lungs for sounds of abnormal breathing. Usually, ARDS is only diagnosed in patients with a chronic illness.
