The Respiratory System Flashcards
What is the respiratory system responsible for?
Providing oxygen needed by the body and removing the carbon dioxide produced
What does the respiratory system consist of?
The lungs and the other organs that connect the lungs to the outside
How does air get to our lungs?
It enters through the mouth and nose, passes through the pharynx (throat), travels down the trachea (aka windpipe), and then the trachea seperates into two branches called the bronchi
What is the trachea supported by?
Rings of cartilage
How does oxygen enter into the bloodstream in the lungs, and carbon dioxide leave the blood?
By diffusion
What are alveoli?
Tiny air sacs that are made as each of the bronchi branches branch over and over again
What is each alveolus surrounded by?
A network of capillaries
What two walls does oxygen and carbon dioxide have to diffuse through?
Capillary walls and alveoli walls
What carries oxygen away to other parts of the body?
Blood
Where does the excess carbon dioxide go?
It diffuses back into to blood and is carried to the lungs where it diffuses out into the air in the alveoli and is expelled to the outside
What is the diaphram?
A sheet of muscle underneath the lungs
What is breathing controlled by?
A part of the brain that detects the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood
What happens when the level of carbon dioxide increases?
The brain sends signals to the diaphram, the breathing rate increases, and the heart beats faster
What is tuberoculosis caused by?
Bacteria that enters your body when you breath
What does SARS stand for?
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
