Human Breathing/The Breathing System Flashcards
What are the functions of the nose?
- Filters air
- Moistens air
- Warms air
- This is done by the hairs and mucus in the nostrils
What the is function of the pharynx (throat)?
-Contains the epiglottis
The epiglottis is a flap of tissue that closes over the trachea.
What is the function of the epiglottis?
Prevents food and drink from passing into the trachea and lungs
What is the larynx?
The voice box
Describe the trachea (windpipe) Bronchi/Higher bronchioles
- Made of muscle and elastic fibres
- C-Shaped rings of cartilage
- Prevents tubes from closing in when air is drawn into them
Describe the smaller bronchioles
- No rings of cartilage
- Muscle and elastic fibres
- Flexible
How do the lungs defend themselves?
All the tubes in the respiratory system are lined with mucus and cilia
Describe the lungs
- Large, pink spongy structures
- Enclosed by pair of pleural membranes
- Air enters through the nose, down the windpipe/trachea, the bronchus and bronchioles to the alveoli
What do the alveoli do?
Gas exchange
Name four ways that the alveoli are adapted
- Thin walls
- Large surface area
- Moist surface
- Enclosed in a network of capillaries
What happens to CO2 and excess water?
They pass out of the body’s cells through diffusion into the blood plasma, and from the blood plasma into the alveoli
What happens to the oxygen?
Oxygen diffuses from the alveoli into the blood
It combines with red pigment haemoglobin for form oxyhaemoglobin
