B2 The Lungs (page 30) Flashcards
why to we need to breathe air in and out of our lungs?
You need to get oxygen into your bloodstream to supply your cells for respiration. You also need to get rid of carbon dioxide from your blood.
This all happens in your lungs when you breathe air in and out.
Where are the Lungs?
The Lungs are in the Thorax.
Where is the Thorax in the body?
The thorax is the top part of your body.
How is the Thorax separated from the lower part of the body?
by the diaphragm.
What do the Lungs look like and how are they protected by the body?
They are like big pink sponges and are protected by the ribcage.
What are the Lungs surrounded by?
The pleural membranes.
The air that we breathe in goes through what in the body?
The air that we breathe in goes through the trachea. This splits into two tubes called bronchi (each one is a bronchus) one going to each lung.
The bronchi split into progressively smaller tubed called what?
Bronchioles.
Where do the Bronchioles finally end?
at the small bags called alveoli. where the gas exchange take place.
List the organs in the thorax?
Oesophagus (food pipe)
Trachea (wind pipe)
Bronchiole
Bronchus
alveoli
diaphragintercostal muscle
rib
heart
pleural membranes
(please see diagram on page 30 to show where they are located).
What is Alveoli?
The lungs contain millions and millions of little air sacs called alveoli, surrounded by a network of blood capillaries. This is where gas exchange happens.
(Alveoli are really well adapted for caryying out gas exchange. It could be a wise move to learn all about exactly how they’re adapted. More about them on page 21)
The blood passing next to the alveoli has just returned to the lungs from the rest of the body, what do it contain?
lots of carbon dioxide and very little oxygen
What diffuses out of the alveolus (high concentration into the blood (low concentration)?
oxygen
what diffuses out of the blood (high concentration) into the alveolus (low concentration), to be breathed out?
carbon dioxide
When the blood reaches body cells, oxygen is released from what cells?
from the red blood cells (where there is a high concentration) and diffuses into the body cells (where the concentration is low).
At the same time, carbon dioxide diffuses out of the body cells (where there’s a high concentration) into the blood (where there’s a low concentration). It’s then carried back to the lungs.
Plese see diagram on page 30
