The breathing system Flashcards
Where are the lungs located?
In the thorax.
What is the thorax?
The top part of your body.
What is the lower part of the body called?
The abdomen.
How are the top part and bottom part of the body separated?
By the diaphragm.
What are the lungs used for?
To get oxygen from the air into your blood stream so that it can get to your cells for respiration. You also need to get rid of the carbon dioxide in your blood.
What are the lungs protected by?
The ribcage (because the lungs are like big pink sponges).
Where does the air go through that you breathe in ?
Through the traches.
What is the traches split into?
Two tubes called bronchi (each one is a bronchus), one going to each lung.
What do the bronchi get split into?
They progressively split into smaller tubes called bronchioles.
Where do the bronchioles end?
They end at small bags called alveoli.
What happens at the alveoli?
Gas exchange takes place.
What is ventilation?
The movement of air into and out of the lungs (Breathing in and breathing out).
What happens when we breathe in?
- Intercostal muscles and diaphragm contract
- Thorax volume increases
- This decreases the pressure, drawing air in
What happens when we breathe out?
- Intercostal muscles and diaphragm relax
- Thorax volume decreases
- This increases the pressure, forcing air out
What do artificial ventilators do?
They help people breathe.
What are ventilators?
They are machines that move air (often with more oxygen) into or out of the lungs.
Who do ventilators help?
People who cant breathe by themsleves, e.g.
- If they’re under general anesthetic.
- If they have a lung injury or disease.
What were old ventilators like?
They used to be a giant case (an ‘iron lung’) from the neck to the abdomen with only the patients head poking out.
How did ‘iron lungs’ work?
Air was pumped out of the case so pressure dropped then the lungs expanded causing air to be drawn into the lungs. Next when air was pumped into the lungs it had the opposite effect, forcing air out of the lungs.
What problems did ‘iron lungs’ have?
They could interfere with blood flow to the lower body.
How do ventilators work now?
By pumping air into the lungs, which expands the ribcage. When they stop pumping air the ribcage relaxes and pushes air back out of the lungs.
What occasional damage can new ventilators cause?
They could burst the alveoli if the lungs cant cope with the artificial air flow.
